Out the Window
by 3VAD127
Summary: Modern AU. Katara's family has always tried running her life for her, but when a stranger rolls into town, she leaves with him in search of adventure. And with Sokka along for the ride, who knows what kind of crazy adventures they'll get themselves into.
1. And So It Begins

**Disclaimer:** What? "Avatar" doesn't belong to me? I am so shocked. You should be, too.

**Author's Notes:** This is the first chapter of something that's been floating around in my head for a while now. I don't think I'll do anything with it, but meh. If I get enough reviews, I might continue it. So please, _please_ let me know what you think. Oh, and I have no outline, so it's just whatever the heck I decide to put in here. Enjoy.

**Out the Window**

_

* * *

_

My uncle, daddy, Gran-Gran, and brother have got my whole life planned out for me. It sucks, really. I've been wanting to just write a note or something and climb out the back window, never to see this boring place again. I love them, but I want to escape.

_Maybe just hitchhike my way across Colorado and head west. I heard it's nice in Cali._

_Whoever said "home is where the heart is" never met **my** home._

* * *

Katara Kuruk hummed along to the tunes jamming in her iPod as she swept the cement floor methodically. It wasn't necessarily hot today, but it was rather humid, and her chocolate brown hair was starting to stick to her face and neck. She paused for a moment to tie it back into a ponytail with one of the hairbands around her wrist. She began to sweep again, pushing dirt and leaves out of the old auto body garage and into the street. The body shop was owned and run by her family; it was one of the few things they had left. After her mother had died when she was young, her father's best friend "Uncle" Bato had moved in to help with mortgage payments and bills and stuff. Their grandmother also lived with them, along with her brother and father.

Katara leaned the broom against the wall and pulled a greasy rag from the back pocket of her overalls, taking a moment to throw it on a rickety workbench in the corner. Shading her eyes, she walked outside and around an open garage door to where her surrogate uncle was buried up to his elbows in the front end of a car.

Katara pulled her iPod out for a moment. "Uncle Bato, what time is it?"

The dark-complected man took a moment to look up and shake his head. "No idea. But I'm sure it's around lunch time; your brother has been complaining for over an hour."

She sighed. "Nothing new there." Katara wiped her brow again and looked out the garage door across the scenic Colorado valley in which their little town was situated. She shook her head. "I'll go inside and see what everyone's up to."

The dark-skinned girl walked up the short steps to the three-bedroom apartment adjacent to the body shop, but just as she reached for the door handle it was yanked open by none other than her father, Hakoda.

"Katara," he said coolly, hiding his surprise. "Gran-Gran needs your help making lunch."

She sighed but nodded. Probably just cold sandwiches or leftovers again. Eew.

Katara walked around the table into the kitchen where her grandmother was already fixing the food. The old woman looked up when she heard someone in the doorway. She tapped her knife on the cutting board next to her. "Come over here and help me peel these apples."

The young girl slouched slightly but reserved herself to her duties. She picked up a knife and began peeling.

"Oh no, Katara!" Gran-Gran exclaimed. "Wash up first! You've been working in that filthy garage all day." Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead did as Gran-Gran said. As the water ran over her hands, the old woman spoke, "You know what you need, Katara? An education. Once you turn eighteen and graduate from high school, you should go away and board at a university. Who knows? You might find a nice boy you like. I've always thought you should marry a surgeon or a businessman, you know. _They_ make some nice paychecks, if you know what I mean…"

Katara returned to her peeling as the woman continued to ramble on. The girl tuned her grandmother out and instead focused on her job. But soon enough, her mind began to wander. _I don't __**want**__ to marry a surgeon or a businessman or somebody rich and famous. I don't want to go away to college and "get a nice education." How boring. I want to see the world, maybe take a road trip… and meet someone who genuinely cares about me._

_Maybe a boy… Maybe a really cute one, too._ Her face flushed. _Maybe he'll have a wonderful sense of adventure and the nicest gray eyes. Or maybe… maybe they'll be a light golden brown…_

An obnoxious rapping noise interrupted her thoughts. She looked over to see a teen who resembled her almost exactly standing in the doorway. Katara narrowed her eyes and glared at her brother. "Sokka, you're interrupting something."

"Really, Sokka," Gran-Gran chided, "let your sister be."

"Relax, Gran," the dark boy said, "I just wanted to see if you guys were ready yet."

Katara growled and stalked over to her brother, pointing him in the chest with the blunt end of her knife. "Maybe if _you_ would help, it wouldn't be taking so long."

He held up his hands defensively, smiling coyly all the way. With a shake of his head, he calmly explained, "I… am a _man_. Men don't _do_ work like cooking and sewing and crap like that. That's a woman's job."

Katara's face burned, and her fists clenched so hard her knuckles turned white. She felt the hot anger bubbling up inside her, and she was fit to burst. "You are the most _sexist_, immature, nut-brained… UGH!" There just were no words for what she was feeling towards him right now. She shoved him hard on the chest. "I'm embarrassed to be related to you!"

Her brother took a moment to run a hand through his short brown hair. "Jeez, Katara, just calm down a little…"

She gritted her teeth together. She was _so_ sick of being pushed around, and treated unfairly, and being called a _girl_. As if that were a demeaning term! Honestly! "I cannot _believe_ you!" she exploded.

Somehow, Gran-Gran managed to place a hand on both their chests and move them away from each other. "That's enough," she said sternly. "Katara, there is no need to shout at Sokka that way." Katara's shoulders shook as she struggled to maintain her temper. "And Sokka," she said grimly, turning to him, "be kind. That comment was extremely unnecessary."

"Yes, Gran-Gran," they said in unison. But when the old woman returned to her work, Sokka shot his sister a smug grin. 'I win,' he mouthed to her.

Her blue eyes narrowed. 'We'll see,' she signaled back. _We'll see indeed._

He blew her a raspberry, then started making stupid faces and mouthing rude boyish things. Katara let out a frustrated "uhhhh!" before spinning on her heel and picking up her apple. She had no time for his childish games. If Sokka wanted to act like a big baby, then he could—but he would _not_ drag her down with him. She would _not_ stoop to his level of (im)maturity.

She was fifteen years old, for crying out loud. She had her learner's permit and would go into her sophomore year of high school in the fall. She was _extremely_ mature. Much more so than her idiot brother. Ha ha. He couldn't screw in a light bulb if the instructions were written on the box.

Katara finished peeling and chopping and moved the apples into a bowl. After Gran-Gran made the sandwiches, she called Uncle Bato and Hakoda in from the garage and they all moved towards the dining room table.

At the smell of food, Sokka rushed into the dining room right on schedule, blue and white shirt wrinkled and tan sandals in hand. Katara cocked an eyebrow his way as he took his place beside her, but she said nothing. He just ignored her. Obviously.

What a jerk.

Everyone sat down and began to eat. After a few minutes and the occasional compliments aimed towards Gran-Gran, Hakoda cleared his throat. Everyone in the room looked expectantly towards him, and his grim face gave away bad news.

The blue-eyed man began slowly. "I hate bringing matters like this up at the table, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to talk to you all at the same time otherwise." Katara and Sokka shared a look. Uh-oh.

There was a long pause in which their father didn't talk. Gran-Gran's face was pulled into a frown, as if she already knew what was to come. Bato and Sokka were curious but cautious, and Katara couldn't help but grimace as a huge feeling of foreboding clamped around her stomach. "I've been drafted again," he said abruptly, refusing to make eye contact.

Katara's fork clattered to her plate. What…? But he had just gotten back a few weeks ago! Army be damned, they couldn't just take him away again! Not now… Not so soon. Not when they needed him. The girl looked at her brother; his face was contorted into a mask of anger and desperation.

"Dad!" he shouted, standing up quickly. Hands planted on the table, all eyes were on him as Sokka's chair banged loudly against the wall. "You can't just leave us! You _just_ got back a few weeks ago! They can't… they have no _right_ to draft you again so soon! It's sick, and it's wrong! You _can't_ go!"

The room was silent as Sokka's words echoed in everyone's mind. His father Hakoda tried to calm down the boy that reminded him so much of himself. "Sokka—"

"_No_, Dad," he said as forcefully as he could. "This isn't right. It's not fair at all! It's not fair to me, or you, or Katara, or Gran-Gran and Uncle Bato. You can't—"

Hakoda's loud voice shut him up. "That's enough!" he barked. Sokka bit his lip and stared at the floor, fingers curling around the lip of the table and digging into the old wood. His father's tone was soft but still sharp. "I have to go; I have been drafted. I owe it to my country to fight in this blasted war. I want it to be over just as much as you do… and if you think I want to go, then you're delusional." A ghost of a smile whisked over his face, but Sokka continued to stare at the floor.

"I am going whether you, or I, or anyone else in this family likes it or not. But I'll be back soon, I promise." He tried to smile, but it only came out sad.

"I'm going with you, then," Bato stated simply. Hakoda nodded gratefully. Katara felt tiny pinpricks behind her eyes and looked up at her older brother. He was biting his lip so hard it was beginning to bleed. She saw the turmoil in his eyes—the anger, the frustration, despair… loneliness. He wanted so badly to go along with them, like he had wanted to go along the first time. But he knew he couldn't.

Too young. Too slow. Too uneducated. There were too many excuses. Too much crap they kept feeding him.

Katara felt her heart give in. She slid her fingers softly over Sokka's rough ones, but he quickly pulled away as if burned. He threw himself away from the table and up the steps into his room.

The slamming of his bedroom door echoed through the apartment. Katara looked at the depressed and deeply upset faces of her family, and she wondered if this was what loneliness sounded like.

--

Katara plugged her earbuds in and turned up the volume. She rocked back and forth on one of the rickety old hillbilly rocking chairs, legs folded neatly underneath her so she could get a better view of the sunset over the apartment's old wooden railing. She hummed along to her music, rocking sporadically, before mumbling and finally jumping up and singing along. Music made her feel good.

…_And her parents' dreams went out the window_

_With a short blue dress and a jewelry box_

_She left a note sayin', "I'll call you tomorrow_

"_I love you both." And she was gone…_

_She was gone—out the window_

The brown-haired girl danced along, not caring who else in this small backwoods town noticed. Sokka could take a picture and have it posted on the Internet within a few seconds, and she would be completely oblivious. When the song ended, she began to mumble again softly to herself. "And my parents' dreams can go out the window… Forget what Sokka says," she said unhappily.

Just in that moment, a rickety old pickup truck chugged through town and stopped right in front of her family's garage. "What the…?" Katara put her iPod in the pocket of her overalls and stood up to watch the car curiously. The truck was surrounded in a thin cloud of reddish dust and exhaust she could only assume came from the engine. A strange young kid hopped out of the car, groaning and muttering things she couldn't hear. He pulled up the hood, and she watched with interest as more whitish steam and smoke poured from under the hood. She couldn't see the stranger very well, so she decided to go over and investigate. Maybe she could do something to help.

Katara hopped over the old wooden railing and, avoiding the crumbling foundation of her apartment home, she made her way down a small slope to the garage's gravel parking lot. "Do you need any help, stranger?" she inquired when she was within earshot. A young boy poked his head out from under the hood.

"Uh… yeah," he said over the hissing of the engine. "Something's wrong. I think it overheated."

The dark girl approached him curiously, noticing that he was very young—too young to be driving, anyway. He had black hair, shining gray eyes, and a constant friendly smile. Now that she looked through the dust, she could see his car was white with silver pin striping down the side. The letters "A-P-P-A" were written on the back license plate. "Hmm." She walked forward and started poking around under the hood. "Looks like a few of your hoses are disconnected… and your coolant is leaking all over the place. It's a pretty easy fix," Katara said, still ducking under the hood. "I can get my dad or my brother to come out here and fill you up. Repairing the connections should be no problem." She offered her most gracious smile.

He smiled gratefully. "Thank you." The boy's face was laughing, and his nose scrunched up.

Katara was confused before she noticed he was looking at her. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"You have grease on your face," he chuckled.

"I hate that," Katara groaned. The boy started laughing, and she did, too. It felt really good to do something that didn't end in a fight. "I'm Katara Kuruk, by the way," the girl said, offering her dark hand.

The stranger shook it. "Aang Shenyang," he said simply.

"Aang," she repeated. "Weird name."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What about you?"

Katara giggled. "Touché." She smiled softly before running her fingers over the hood of his dirty white pickup. "So… what's a kid like you driving a truck out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Aang shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… well, it's kind of a long story…" From the way he dropped his gaze and drew his toe through the red soil, Katara could tell he didn't really want to talk about it. She smiled knowingly.

"That's OK. I understand. Just let me call my brother out here; he'll fix you up, and then you can be on your way."

He flashed a large smile. "Thank you so much."

Katara planted her hands on her hips. "Oh, don't thank me just yet," she muttered. "SOKKA! Get out here, _now_!" A window from the second floor of their apartment flew open, and the sixteen-year-old stuck his brown head out just enough to yell at his sister.

"Shut up, Katara, and leave me _alone_!"

"No!" she yelled back. "We've got someone down here who needs help! Now get your lazy arse out of your bedroom, get down here, and help me. You've been moping in your room all day!"

The window slammed shut, and Sokka's muffled voice could barely be heard from inside. "Get Dad or Bato. I ain't doin' it."

"They're packing, stupid." There was silence for a moment before Katara heard the tell-tale grumbling and thumping noises of her brother making his way down the stairs. She looked sideways at Aang and sighed. "I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "My brother is such a pain sometimes."

He shrugged. "It's OK. I'm sure he doesn't mean to be."

"I doubt that," the blue-eyed girl said more to herself than Aang. Her new friend cocked his head curiously, hearing the comment, but said nothing.

Soon enough, a lanky boy of about sixteen stumbled out the beat-up screen door into the gravel drive of the auto body shop. With dark brown hair, tanned skin, and bright blue eyes, he looked exactly like his sister, only taller. His chocolate hair was spiked up with dark blue streaks in the front. He ground his eye with the palm of his hand. "Whatd'ya want?" he grumbled, voice low.

Katara pulled one strand of hair away from her face. She had two separate tendrils, which were separated from the rest of her hair by two small, blue clips. These were free to hang down in the front of her face and were blown around in the soft southern wind. "This is Aang," she said, motioning to the boy. Aang smiled and waved in a friendly manner. "He needs a few hoses put back in place, and some more coolant for the engine."

Sokka sighed, rubbing his hands together. "OK… Aang, the sooner I get started, the sooner we can get you outta here." He started to duck under the hood, but stopped and turned to the new kid. "I'm Sokka, by the way," he said, offering a dirty hand to him.

Aang took it reluctantly. "Yeah… I've heard," he laughed nervously.

Sokka dug around in the engine compartment for a moment before breaking the silence. "So… Katara, how long have you known this guy?"

Aang put his hands behind his back shyly as Katara answered, "I just met him today. I told you that, meathead. I don't see what the big deal is, anyway." They both caught the annoyed tone in her voice. Aang wanted to reach out and try to calm the pretty girl as best he could, but all Sokka did was say something rude.

"I'm your brother. It's my _job_ to know." There was a pause. "You know I'm not that fond of strangers, Kat."

It wasn't a threat or a promise, just a simple statement of fact. Like discussing the weather. But nevertheless, Aang felt more than a little uncomfortable. He had taken to the girl, Katara, almost immediately. She was very pretty, extremely nice, and her smile was so kind. He had never met another girl quite like her before. But her brother Sokka rather scared him. He knew the older boy was only trying to look out for his family, but still. Sokka was much, much taller than him, and probably a whole lot stronger, too. It would be to his advantage if he could stay on the older boy's good side.

Katara peered around the top of the truck into the flatbed. There, a mattress sat firmly attached to the bed. It was old, but not dirty. A few bags and packs lay scattered around the bed of the truck, stuffed into the crannies beside the mattress so the things inside wouldn't blow away. "Wow, Aang," Katara said, "you've got a mattress back here!"

"Huh?" Aang looked from Sokka to Katara. "Oh, yeah. I sleep back there. This old truck is pretty much all I have left, so at night, I just park on the side of the road and hit the sack. It's really nice for listening to the crickets and watching the sunrise."

Katara whirled around to face him, a huge smile on her face. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "So you just roam around the country in your truck?"

Aang nodded enthusiastically. "Seeing things, meeting people, going to places most folks have only seen on postcards." He scratched his head, scrunching up his nose in the process. "It's… nice, but y'know, I kinda miss the comforts of home every once in a while." He grinned sheepishly, a light pink tinge tinting his cheeks. Katara smiled back.

"So… you're like a nomad?" came Sokka's skeptical voice from up front.

The kid nodded again. "You could say that."

Katara opened her mouth to ask a question, perhaps about his family, but thought better of it. If this strange thirteen-year-old wanted to drive around the country in one huge road trip, it really wasn't her business to poke around in his past. Besides, a road trip sounded like fun. When she told him so, he only nodded and laughed. "It is," he assured her. "It really is."

She sighed wistfully. "I wish I could do something like that. Sounds like fun."

"Sounds like trouble to me," her brother grunted from under the hood. "Thieves, bandits, outlaws, murderers… they're out to getcha. They're mean and nasty, and they won't hesitate to prey on a couple of innocent kids going cross-country in a beat-up rust bucket."

She frowned and smacked his butt. "Shut up, you party pooper. I'm only dreaming, anyways. It's not like anyone in this family would actually let me go, even if I _did_ get the chance." She said this very softly and sadly, and Aang picked up on both.

"Hey…" he rested an awkward hand on her shoulder. "They love you, you know. I know _my_ parents certainly wouldn't let me go on a road trip with a random stranger in a beat-up pickup truck." He offered a huge grin and a chuckle, which Katara gratefully returned. Sokka banged his head on the hood, muttering a few choice words under his breath in the process. He straightened up and slammed the hood down, wiping his hands off on a grease rag.

"Well," he said, "there you go. I fixed all your connections, added some coolant, and even filled up your wiper fluid. You were gettin' kinda low." He offered a rare, quick smile. "You can be on your way whenever you want."

Aang looked at the sky. "Well… it's already pretty dark, and I don't have many supplies. Do you think maybe I could stay over for the night and stock up on some food and stuff before I leave?"

Katara nodded enthusiastically. "You can sleep on the couch," she said. "It's a sleeper. I'm sure my uncle and Gran-Gran won't mind." The girl pulled Aang aside and whispered into his ear, "My brother and father, however, are a totally different story."

They both giggled like kids. Sokka shot them a funny look, but decided to let it go. "So. I guess you're staying at our place until morning then, huh?" It was a statement, but he didn't sound happy about it. Not at all.

"Yep!" Katara said cheerfully. She grabbed Aang's hand and rushed him inside. "Here, let me show you around."

--

The tour didn't take long. After a short conversation with the Kuruk family, Aang was accepted as an overnight guest and slept comfortably all night on the couch. Uncle Bato and Hakoda shared a room, as did Sokka and Katara. Gran-Gran got her own, since she was growing old and needed the space more, anyway.

Unfortunately, the morning that Aang was scheduled to leave was also the exact time Hakoda and Bato were scheduled to head to the Air Force Base. From there, they would get their instructions and fly to wherever placement they were to be stationed this time around. Sokka was a mixture of anger, sadness, and regret as he, Katara, and Gran-Gran stood on the porch waving goodbye to them. Their parting had been tearful for the women, but Sokka prided himself in the fact that he did not shed a single tear.

"Goodbye, Dad," Katara said softly from her place beside him. "We'll see you soon." Crystalline tears poured down her cheeks as she watched her father leave their broken little family for the second time in her life.

Sokka and Katara stood awkwardly beside each other, watching emotionally as the ancient station wagon bumped and jostled its way down the road in the early morning sun.

"He's gone," Sokka stated blandly. Katara stared blankly at the space where the station wagon had been just a few moments ago.

"Yes," she replied softly, "he is."

There was a soft pause before Sokka said, "Aang's going to do the same thing, you know."

"What?" she choked.

Her brother's icy gaze never left the road. "Leave us… leave _you_ when you need him the most."

Katara looked at him in a mixture of horror and wonder. "How can you say such awful things about him like that?"

Sokka turned to look at his sister for the first time that morning. "I've seen how you look at him, Katara, and I've seen how he looks at _you_. I know you two have… something. I don't know what it is yet, but it's really special. And if that boy Aang were smart, he wouldn't be _leaving_ right now! He'd stay here with you, so he could make _you_ happy!" By the end of his speech, Sokka was speaking angrily and loudly.

The girl tried to hold back her tears. "You're wrong!" she insisted. "I don't have anything with him. He's a nice guy but a total stranger! How could I feel anything for him?! Besides, it's not about me! I'm not selfish, like you are!" She shoved a finger into his chest, and he batted it away quickly. "I know that it's about _him_, and if _he_ wants to leave, then he can!" she nearly screamed.

"I am not selfish!" he roared back. "Everything I've done is to protect you, to help you! Dear God, I _love_ you, Katara, and the worst part is, I shouldn't even need to say that! Maybe if you paid more attention to what was going on instead of just running around listening to your iPod and frolicking in your make-believe land of ponies and happy endings, you'd be _able to see that_!"

Tears poured down Katara's face. "If you loved me, you wouldn't be _shouting _at me! In fact, if you loved me half as much as I have taken care of you in the past, we wouldn't even be having this conversation!" Sokka was taken aback, and took a small step backwards. Katara took advantage of this to slam her accusations into his face. "And you know what else? _I've_ been doing all the work around here for the past seven years. Seven. Years! If you would just get off your lazy butt and start pulling your weight instead of playing 'Super-Mechanic' in the garage all day, maybe _you'd_ be able to see _that_!" She took a breath, preparing for the ultimate crack-down. Katara's voice was now shaky and much softer, but it still shook with the same intensity as before.

"You try… _so_ hard to be like Dad. Be a soldier, be a disciplinarian, be a fighter. But you're not, Sokka, you're just _not_. In fact, you're everything Dad _isn't_. You're so busy trying to get him to notice you that you forget the people who actually need you to be there. Everything you do is to get him to be proud of you, but if he knew who you really were, the _real_ Sokka under all that crap, he would not be proud at all. He would be mortified at what you have become."

And with that, Katara spun on her heel, emotions running high and tears pouring down. Maybe if she had taken a moment to look him in the eye, she would see the terrible loneliness and anguish she had caused rising to the surface. But she didn't. So she saw nothing.

Her mind remembered what her brother had said about Aang. "No," she repeated softly, "you're wrong."

Even though, deep down, she knew he was right.

--

The morning was early and chilly for this time of year. The sun was barely up, which was rare for the middle of summer, but it was up nonetheless. Aang took a few moments to wipe the chilly droplets of dew away before loading the last of his supplies into the bed of his truck. He wiped his hands on his pants and jumped down nimbly. Katara, Sokka, and Gran-Gran were standing there, ready to say goodbye again.

"Well," Aang started, "thank you so much. You all have been so kind to me, and I will never forget you." As he turned to go, the dark-skinned girl rushed over to him and enveloped him in a hug.

"I'll miss you," she muttered into his ear. Aang blushed considerably.

"And I'll miss you, too," he said honestly. As he held Katara, he felt such a connection with these people. He was only thirteen, but he knew a good family and great individuals when he saw them. The young boy was also especially fond of the girl. Her ocean blue eyes were so endearing, and her words were always caring and kind. Even her reprimands were said with the best intentions at heart. As the two pulled apart, Aang couldn't help but feel regret well up inside of his heart. He really didn't want to leave so soon, but he didn't really have a choice.

He had to go. And they had to stay.

He climbed into his old, rusty truck, and with a final wave to the family that had shown him so much kindness, he slowly drove away along the old dirt road. He felt guilty, too. Those people were his friends, and they really deserved to know the truth. He knew if a strange boy way too young to drive pulled up into _his_ home town, he would've been equally as curious. But he didn't tell them a single thing, and for some reason, they didn't press the issue further. Aang sighed and gripped the steering wheel, not really caring where the road took him.

Maybe… someday… he would be able to see them again. See the old woman who had learned too much; the young boy who tried so hard to live up to expectations too large for him to fill; and the girl with chocolate brown hair, blue eyes, dark skin, and a talent for loving people. Even someone like him.

--

The hole in Katara's heart grew with every passing second she saw that old truck drive away. She couldn't take it anymore—her only friend, the only person she had ever met who was _genuine_… not even her own family was genuine anymore… and he just left. She didn't try to stop him. Her only chance for freedom, for love, and adventure was gone. Just like that.

Katara eventually passed out in her bed from emotional exhaustion.

The dark girl awoke with a start. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up, listening for any sort of noise that could've awoken her. She didn't normally wake up randomly in the middle—

_Thump._ A quiet whisper.

_Crick._ Another, sharper whispering noise.

Katara was on full alert now. Someone was in their house… She quietly padded out of bed and down the hall, trying to use her ear to determine where the noise was coming from. All was silent, except for the cacophony of the nocturnal summer orchestra outside. She paused and stilled her breath, hoping for the slightest of noises; but her heart was thumping so loudly in her ears, she doubted she could hear it, anyway.

Then she heard it—the soft _scritch scritch_ of someone moving metal against wood. It was coming from the living room. Quietly, softly, with her heart thumping loudly and eyes wide, she crept down the stairs into the living room. A short silhouette was rustling around the room, bending over the sofa and sticking their hands down the seat cushions. Katara's heartbeat spiked. Quickly, she slid into a defensive Tae Kwon Do stance. "Who are you?" she demanded with much more confidence than she had.

The silhouette looked startled, but came over to her. She backed up against the wall. "Get out of my house!" she hissed.

"Katara," a familiar voice said, "it's me."

The girl gasped in surprise. "Aang?"

She saw him nod. Then he said, "I'm so sorry I had to sneak into your house, but… I think I forgot something when I slept here last night." As if to prove his point, Aang walked around to the sofa and began moving some of the cushions once again.

Katara placed her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side. "You didn't really leave anything here, did you?" she said softly.

Aang straightened up and sighed, knowing he had been caught. "No," he whispered. "I didn't."

She walked up to him slowly. "Then what did you come here for?"

He gulped. "A proper goodbye."

"And just what would that include?" the girl said breathily.

The boy leaned in closer towards her. "Mmm not sure," he mumbled incoherently.

Katara leaned in, too, close enough to feel his hot breath across her face. She shivered. Then, without warning, she leaned in and wrapped him in a huge hug. "Don't leave again," she muttered into his shoulder.

"I won't," he whispered to her, returning the hug.

She pulled back to look at him in the dim lighting. "Where are you going from here?"

Aang shrugged. "I don't know," he said simply.

Katara's grin was enormous. "That sounds amazing. Let me come with you."

Her friend gasped. "What? No! I could never ask you to do that to your family."

Katara shook her dark head. "Relax. My brother and Gran-Gran can take care of themselves. They might miss me, but they know I love them unconditionally. Besides," she added, "we can always come back later."

Aang was still hesitant. "Well…" he started slowly. "That's true." Then suddenly, he grinned. "OK. You can sit in the front seat, but you'll have to fight Momo for it."

"Momo?"

"Oh, sorry," Aang said. "Momo's my cat. He travels with me everywhere."

"A cat… who likes to travel?" Katara sounded incredulous.

"Yup," he said excitedly. "You can meet him soon, too. But first you have to go change. Grab a bag of stuff and let's get outta here."

Katara nodded and raced up the stairs as quietly as she could. As soon as she had changed into some jean capris and a ruffly blue top, she stuffed some extra clothes, her jewelry box, and a lot of extra money into her backpack. Coming back downstairs, she said to Aang, "Let's hurry up and get out of here before someone wakes up."

A gravelly voice stopped the two in their tracks. "Just what do you think you're doing, Katara?"

The girl whirled around to see Sokka standing in the shadows. "S-Sokka? What are you…?"

The boy crossed his arms. "If you think you can leave, just like that, Katara, you're wrong."

Katara frowned and stood her ground. "No, Sokka, _you're_ wrong. Aang is offering me something I've never had before."

"So what, you'd rather go with him than stay here? With your own family?"

She paused. "…Uh…"

Sokka's icy voice cut through the darkness. "Don't try to explain yourself, Katara," he snapped. "I know the reason you're going."

Katara really didn't know what to say. She floundered before finally finding ground. "He needs a family," she said simply.

Sokka stepped out of the shadows for a moment into the dim shading of twilight. For the first time, Katara noticed her brother was fully clothed in his blue-trimmed shirt and cargo shorts. A large duffel bag was slung over one shoulder. The dark girl felt her breath hitch in her throat as she looked at her brother. "What…?"

The grin on Sokka's face couldn't have gotten any larger. "If you're going," he said, "then let me come with you."

**

* * *

**

**Post Author's Notes: **Sorry about so much drama. It seems like it's the only thing I can write. Eeh. Please tell me if you want this story to continue.

If there are any _**plot points**_ / _**characters**_ / _**ideas**_ you would like to see in here, feel free to say something. I'm willing to put anything in here you want, even rival ships! We could go **Zutara**, **or** we could go **Kataang**. It's all up to you guys. Please vote and send me your comments.


	2. The Adventure Continues

**Disclaimer:** _Avatar_ © Bryke. Not me. Yes, it's very sad. )':

**Author's Notes:** Special thanks to Aryck1095, avatargirl92008, Magnumus, TTAvatarfan, anon, AvatarAiris, Glistening blue eyes, avatarthe last airbender rules, avatarang, kataang412, Aangsfan, ViolotQ, gjhkghghjk, and kataang4evr for reviewing last chappie. Thanks so much to all of y'all!

OK, the voting has taken place, and the ship winner is: **Kataang**. Whoo! Here are some other things you might see along the way: **Sukka**, **Yuokka**, **Jinko**, and maybe some **one-sided Tokka**. Oh, and the same rules still apply—any _**plot points**_ / _**characters**_ / _**ideas**_ you'd like to see in this story, feel free to say something! Drop me a line and let me know via review or PM, I don't really care.

Oh, and FYI—THIS STORY WILL **NOT** FOLLOW THE SERIES. You may see some elements you recognize or some of my fave quotes ripped off from the episodes, but it's not going to be a step-by-step follow-up of the actual show. Because that would be boring, and we've all probably seen each episode like, 50 plus times, anyway.

**Out the Window**

* * *

"_Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."_

-Andre Gide

* * *

Katara stood stock still, mouth agape, staring awkwardly at her brother.

Her.

Brother.

The one who was always so responsible, such a stick-in-the-mud, so unaccustomed to change or travel or strangers especially, was actually volunteering himself to _go with them_?

Apparently, Hell had frozen over.

The young girl shook her head, brown locks falling all over her face. "Wow," she stuttered, "I can't believe…" Katara smiled and ran over to Sokka, capturing him in a huge hug unlike anything they had shared in a while. "Sokka!" she squealed excitedly. "I'm so happy you changed your mind. You're coming with us!" Aang grinned stupidly.

The eldest boy shushed them both. "Jeez, you guys. None of us are going anywhere if you wake up the whole house." He patted Katara's back awkwardly before she pulled away.

"I'm just so glad you'll be coming along, too," she said softly, eyes shining with delight.

He smiled genuinely, but it was quickly replaced with an annoyed frown. "I'm not going because I think we're a 'family' or anything ridiculous like that," he griped. "I'm going because I'm tired of cleaning the litterbox. And I want to meet some girls." He walked quietly over to the door before whispering over his shoulder, "Now are you guys coming or not?"

Aang smirked and fell into step beside Katara. "I didn't know you guys had cats," he whispered.

Katara smiled knowingly. "We don't."

--

The young trio slipped out of the house without incident and drove away in Aang's APPA-mobile. At least, that's what Sokka so affectionately began calling it as soon as he caught sight of the license plate. "What's up with that, anyway?" he inquired as soon as they were driving down the dirt and gravel roadway. Katara and Sokka sat on the mattress in the bed of the truck, while Aang hung his arm out of the driver's seat window.

The young boy shrugged. "I dunno. I just really liked the letters together. It sounded nice… and besides, my truck needed a name, anyway. What better name than Appa?"

Sokka crossed his arms. "A weird one if you ask me."

Katara grinned evilly. "No one asked you, meathead," was her snarky reply.

His blue eyes narrowed. "Shut up." Hey, it was all he could come up with. "So let's see," the boy began, mulling things over in an attempt to ignore Katara. "Appa's an odd name. Maybe it stands for something…? I'm thinking… maybe… Uh, let's see, All-terrain… something something… Automobile. Sounds good, right?"

The dark-skinned girl placed a hand over her mouth, and Sokka could hear Aang snickering from the front seat behind him. "Hey," he said indignantly, "I'd like to see _you_ guys come up with something better than that."

"Anything's better than 'something something,'" Katara jibed, giggling. Aang laughed loudly before catching himself and biting his lip.

"Oh, whatever." The boy's dark face flushed a bright red. Apparently, it was his lot in life to be made fun of. Constantly. And without regret as well.

He muttered some choice sentences under his breath before leaning back against the corner of the truck bed. Sokka sighed and settled in, trying to ignore the sharp pain of hard plastic biting into his back. He turned his gaze heavenwards, taking in the velvety blackness of the night sky and the contrasting brightness of billions of western stars. The horizon was brushed a dull painter's gray, and the boy could see the stark silhouettes of the black hills and foliage as they rushed by. A small, still voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Sokka," was all Katara said. But it was all she needed to say.

"What?" he replied, choking on his own voice. Aang remained silent, but removed his arm from the windowsill. This was sibling talk.

Even in the darkness, the teen could see her lower her gaze to stare at the mattress. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "For earlier."

"Hey…" he shifted uncomfortably. Sentimental heart-to-hearts weren't really his thing. "It's cool. Just forget about it."

Katara folded her arms and stared at him, an emotion unrecognizable to him written all over her face. "No," she said adamantly, "it is _not_ cool. All those things I said about you…" she shook her head. "They weren't true. I guess when Dad left… again, I was just really upset and depressed. The things I was thinking—"

"Katara."

She was silenced by his voice. He spoke again. "You don't have to explain everything to me, especially feelings and other crap like that." The girl smiled at the humor woven through his voice. "I get what you're saying," he said, adopting an appropriately serious tone. "You don't have to make excuses for yourself. I get it."

Katara smiled, hooking a stray hair behind her ear. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Mm-hmm." His smiling face slowly turned downwards in a fake grimace. "Now don't bug me anymore; I'm tired and I want some more sleep, no thanks to _you people_ for waking me up at three in the morning." Katara giggled as she saw Aang wave animatedly from the front seat. Sokka grumbled through his giant smile and stretched out in the bed of the truck. "Good night," he said curtly, the remains of his grin still playing across his features.

"Good night!" Aang said cheerily from up front.

"Good night," Katara replied. Then she said softly, "By the way, Sokka… you're a fantastic brother. The best a girl could hope for."

He didn't acknowledge her small comment, but the young girl knew he heard it. And she knew he knew it was true. He _did_ know everything, after all. Sokka, as a big brother, was just like that. Katara closed her oceanic blue eyes and rested her head against the truck bed, grateful for once as a dark, soothing blanket of sleep washed over her, and she was swept away into her dreams.

--

"This. Is stupid." A teenage boy of perhaps seventeen slumped further into the dirty booth of his current torture chamber—the only sign of life for miles along this dusty highway, which just so happened to be a grimy, run-down McDonald's. He attempted to bury himself in the darkest corner of the grease joint, praying over and over again to whatever gods were out there that no one would recognize him.

Zuko Sozin sat, knees pulled up to his chest, in the darkest corner booth possible. He glowered at the kids running around the restaurant, trying to look as scary as possible so everyone would just leave him _alone_ for once. He let out a heated breath and brushed a few strands of his jet-black hair out of his line of vision. His eyes were a honey brown, so light they appeared gold in the daytime. He wore a black wife-beater and an armband with a fire symbol sewn into it in red. His pants were a dark-wash jean, and he cursed the fact he had left his black-and-red trip pants in the car. They were much scarier than plain old jeans.

Zuko frowned again as a particularly brave child stopped and started staring openly at him. When the child refused to move, the teen growled at him before muttering, "Beat it, kid." The child left, whining hysterically to his parents.

Those poor saps. Destined to live a life of obesity and mediocrity for the rest of their natural lives. They were plain, boring, and obnoxious, and they were raising their children to be plain, boring, and obnoxious just like them. It was a vicious cycle. Zuko scoffed at_ normal_ people like that. They had no idea what it was like to _be_ somebody. To be important.

To be him.

Zuko was just beginning to wonder how a beat-up fast-food joint in the middle of no-freaking-where could house so many annoying brattish offspring when a familiar, heavy-set man came into his view. "Nephew!" the man said jovially. "I got us some food. I hope chicken is OK since I know the beef here is terrible."

The graying old man fished a sandwich and a container of fries out of his greasy bag before tossing them in front of Zuko. "Have a sandwich."

The teen turned away, folding his arms even more tightly across his chest. "I'm not hungry," he said curtly.

"Ah." Zuko's uncle, Iroh, sat down across from his nephew and began eating his onion rings. "Well, I am," he said happily. "You know, this food isn't half bad. You should try some, Zuko. We've been on the road for a while, and I'm sure you must be somewhat hungry."

"Well, I'm not. And the only reason we're here is because _someone_ doesn't know how to read a map!" Zuko almost flinched at the venom in his own voice. Almost.

Iroh paused for a moment, almost looking offended and hurt, but he shrugged it off quickly. "It was a mistake that any rookie navigator could've made," he said, waving his hand around for effect. "How was I supposed to know there was a difference between I-89 East and I-98 West?"

Zuko sighed, desperately trying to resist the urge to bang his head incessantly against the overused table. "Right. Of course not, Uncle." The sarcasm was unmistakable. But hey, when you're in doubt or feeling guilty, sarcasm to the rescue. The teen reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. He flipped it between his fingers, turning it on and off, before closing it again and spinning it this way and that. He prided himself in the fact that he was a bit of a pyro, always carrying a lighter and being unnaturally attracted to fire. He just loved it, for some strange reason.

Despite what his father did to him with it.

Unconsciously, Zuko reached up a tentative hand to feel his face. His left eye and ear were both scarred by the blistering heat of the fire he fell in love with. But maybe that's why he loved it so much—it was dangerous. Lethal.

His lighter was very special, too—a gift from his uncle when he was fighting in the war. Uncle Iroh used to be a very esteemed general, and an extremely good strategist to boot. Zuko received the lighter in the mail right before… Uncle's "Great Sadness." The hardest time in the old man's life.

Zuko's lighter was from the front lines of a country far, far away, the name of which he couldn't pronounce even if he wanted to. It was made of the purest polished hardwood, plated in expensive gold which wrapped around in ornate designs and licks of flames. The metal of the igniter was always shining, and the flame it produced was always large and living. He flicked it on, watching with amusement as the tiny flicker of light and heat danced in an invisible wind.

"Zuko!" Iroh's voice scared him so much that the teen started and dropped his lighter. He cursed before fishing it out from under the table.

"_What_, Uncle?" he ground out acidly.

"Not at the table," the old man scolded. "This is a public place, and there are children around. Perhaps another time when people aren't so… suspicious."

Well. Maybe his uncle… could've been right. Just a little bit. Zuko was starting to notice that the people were giving him odd stares. The greasy, pimple-faced teens behind the counter were even whispering amongst themselves, glancing over his way before returning to their gossip circles. They thought they were being sneaky, really; but the shifty eyes and lowered voices only gave them away even more. Zuko shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze toward Uncle.

He was finished eating and was putting Zuko's untouched sandwich and fries in the bag. "Let's go," Zuko muttered, grabbing his uncle's wrist and pulling him outside. He waited for Uncle to unlock their SUV before jumping in the passenger's seat and immediately propping his feet on the dashboard. He popped in his iPod and almost instantaneously dove into his own little world as his tiny white earbuds ground out the lyrics to several hard-core '80s rock songs.

Zuko's head bobbed ever so slightly as the old general climbed into the driver's seat of the black vehicle. Placing his huge mug of free iced tea in the cupholder and the bag of food on the dash, the old man started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. "Seat belt, Zuko," he murmured, not even bothering to take his eyes off the road.

His nephew rolled his amber eyes and begrudgingly pulled the gray safety belt over his lap before clicking it into place. "There, happy now?" he muttered. The teen didn't even bother to listen for a reply before turning back to his playlist—Rob Zombie, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and various others.

Zuko had just gotten into a song by Hawthorne Heights before his uncle pulled the earbuds out of his ears. The teen opened his mouth to protest, but the old man said forcefully, "Eat your food." He shoved the bag into the teen's lap.

"I… _no_!" he sputtered indignantly. "Uncle, you're being ridiculous!" Zuko stared at his guardian, but Iroh continued to keep his attention on the road. When it was apparent Iroh was not looking at him anymore, Zuko sighed before muttering crossly, "Stupid McDonald's. Greasy peasant food. I hate this crap." He then stuck his hand in the bag, pulled out a handful of greasy fries, and proceeded to stuff them all into his mouth. "This stuff sucks."

But out of the corner of his bad eye, Zuko saw his uncle smile slightly.

--

Gran-Gran Kanna awoke in her room, huddled beneath her sheets. The night was warm and breezy, and she could distinctly hear the crickets chirping loudly outside her bedroom window. It was very early morning, judging by the clock and the gray streak across the horizon. She sat up and placed her feet on the floor, slipping them into some slippers before rising to stand. Her old bones creaked in protest as she made her way to the door.

The old woman didn't have to open the door to know what was on the other side. She could feel it—the dining room was empty, as was the kitchen and the living room. There would be no sign of life, not even in her grandchildren's bedroom. Kanna had awoken to an empty house.

She shuffled out the door, taking a few moments to look around just to make sure the sinking feeling in her gut was, indeed, true. She opened the children's door, and sure enough, they were not in their beds. The blue sheets were ruffled, and a few various pieces of clothing were scattered about the room, as if someone had awoken in the middle of the night and had left abruptly. The elder sighed, making her way down the steps and pausing in the living room. Surely they didn't just leave…

Ah.

There.

A small piece of paper fluttered pale white against the screen door. Gran-Gran undid the safety pin and squinted her eyes at the note, trying to make out the nearly-illegible handwriting of her grandson in the darkened room.

_Gran-Gran,_

_It's probably obvious by now we've left. Aang came back earlier tonight, and Katara was planning on going with him. I was about to stop them before I realized she could really use this. We could **both** use this—fun. We're in good hands—I'm the oldest, obviously, and I'm taking care of everyone, so you don't have to worry about Katara getting into trouble. I'll make sure she and Aang stay away from each other. …Kidding, you guys! Jeez, I swear…_

_Anyway, we love you, Gran-Gran, and we know you're smart enough to take care of yourself. We'll be back soon, we promise. Give Dad and Uncle Bato our regards if they return home before us._

_Lots of love,_

_Sokka & Katara (but especially Sokka). Oh, and Aang, too._

Gran-Gran smiled an old, tired smile before pulling her robe more tightly around her haggard body. Perhaps this could do them both some good; that boy Aang sure was something.

"Congratulations, you kids," Kanna said to no one. She smiled knowingly, wondering what her grandkids would say to each other when they discovered the note _she_ had tucked away in Katara's backpack earlier that day.

After all, she had known all along.

--

This.

Was.

Retarded. Re-_freaking_-tarded. How did a perfectly functioning, brand new SUV break down in the middle of _nowhere_?!

The young Sozin boy banged his head repeatedly against the glass of the window. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. It was stupid they were stuck out here in the middle of the boonies—which he just found out meant "boondocks" to all normal people—, it was stupid the way Uncle babied him, stupid how his family treated him like nothing more than cow manure, and it was _especially_ stupid how Zuko ended up all alone with his uncle in the middle of no-freaking-where in the _first_ place. So basically, his whole life was one huge mess of freaking stupidity.

Oh, and had he said "freaking" enough times yet?

"Uncle," he muttered miserably, "aren't you done yet?"

The old man had managed to pull the onyx-colored car over to the side of the two-lane road before it completely shut down. Now with two wheels on the pavement and two wheels in the grassy ditch, it was going to be nigh impossible to determine what exactly was wrong with their vehicle. Uncle Iroh, however, found the need to look, anyway, just in case he found something that could help them out.

"Not yet, nephew!" was his jovial reply. "But I think I'm getting close to something."

He muttered under his breath, "Oh, for crying… Uncle!" he shouted. "Just call the towing company. They can get us repair people or whatever."

Iroh leaned through the open driver's side window, taking a moment to stare at his nephew. "Now where's the fun in that?" The general's Cheshire cat grin was so huge Zuko wanted to stand up and shake the living crap out of the deranged old man until _some_ semblance of sanity returned to his oxygen-deprived brain. "Besides," he added, "we're in a dead zone. No cell phone service."

"What?" Zuko grumbled. "It's _supposed_ to be the most reliable network…" He flipped open his cell phone and, sure enough, he had zero bars. Zuko then began growling and angrily saying some very choice words under his breath. His uncle just tsked before turning back to his work. After much cursing and name-calling, Zuko resigned himself to laying his head against the chilly glass window and staring at the thousands of stars above in the night sky. Where he came from, you were lucky to see more than a dozen stars on the darkest night in the summer. But out here, with no city lights or bright skylines blocking your view, thousands of millions of burning balls of nitrogen and hydrogen suddenly became visible.

It would've been breathtaking, really, if the angsty teen wasn't so busy sulking.

Very suddenly, a cloud of reddish dust appeared on the horizon, preceded by a square, boxy silhouette that Zuko could not identify. Determined to get a better look, he hopped out of the car and moved to the driver's side of the SUV, which was also the side still on the pavement. He leaned against his black car, his baby, trying to look cool and as scary as possible. He squinted at the silhouette as it came nearer in the darkness, and he could _just_ make out two low, flashing headlight beams. It was an old car or truck of some sort.

"Uncle," he called. "Do you see this?"

Iroh looked up from inspecting one of the wheel wells. "Oh, fantastic," he said. "Maybe these nice people will get us a tow truck."

Zuko grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. "People are jerks, Uncle," he said, crossing his arms tightly. "Trusting outsiders for help is a mistake _I'm_ not going to make."

The old man pondered his words but said nothing.

--

"Psst." The teen scrunched his eyes together, but ignored the annoying noise and curled up in a ball, once again falling fast asleep.

"Psssst." There it was again, louder this time. Annoyed, the boy waved his hand to smack away whatever was making that annoying buzzing sound in his ear.

"_Pssst!_ Sokka!" He groaned and rolled over. Cue obnoxious little sister. "Wake up, meathead," she said, shaking his shoulder roughly.

"Katara," he groaned. "Tired. Sleep. Go away."

"Sokka," the girl said, annoyed, "I think it's time you take the wheel. Aang's been driving this whole time, and he's completely worn out. Besides," she added as an afterthought, "_you_ have a real driver's license. He doesn't."

Sokka sighed before running tan fingers through his blue-streaked hair. "Fine," he groaned. He couldn't argue with logic, even if it was Katara's. He crawled over to the other side of the truck bed and tapped lightly on the passenger window. Aang looked over, startled, but quickly smiled and rolled down the window. "Hey Sokka," Aang said brightly. "Wanna come in?"

The older boy could only semi-nod through his sleep-induced fog. Quickly and cautiously, Sokka crawled along the outside of the moving vehicle before thrusting himself into the open window. It would've been a pretty slick move, but—Sokka being Sokka—he accidentally slipped in the last five seconds of the maneuver and managed to do a complete face-plant on the floor of the truck. Aang laughed good-naturedly as Sokka's feet were stuck on the headrest comically. "Ow," he groaned. "Aang, I think your car hates me."

He scrambled around, trying to pull his body into a sitting position, accidentally managing to beam Aang in the head a few times with a stray limb, and also succeeding in knocking over Aang's hula dancing bobble head. "Hey!" the younger boy protested. "That was really cool…"

When Sokka finally managed to put his body in the upright position, he sighed and leaned back in the old fabric bench seat. "Man," he groaned. "What a wake-up call." He turned to his young dark-haired friend. "By the way," the older boy added, "Katara wanted me to relieve you of your driving duties."

Aang shrugged. "OK," he complied. "I'm not really tired yet, but maybe in a few minutes, you can take over for me." Sokka just nodded gratefully before leaning back and attempting to take a nap. A soft _scritching_ noise interrupted the boy's sleep. He sighed and popped one eye open, looking around the mostly-empty cab of the car. _Scritch scritch_. There it was again… coming from the glove compartment. Curious, Sokka cocked an eyebrow and reached out to open the small door. He pulled the latch, and a blur of white and black fur exploded all over him.

"Nyaaah!" Sokka yelled, thoroughly surprised and taken off-guard. The furry thing continued to climb all over him, digging sharp claws into his skin and proceeding to lick his nose, eyes, ears, and any part of his face that was exposed. "Hey, get off!"

Aang was trying to reach the fuzzball from the driver's seat, while at the same time keeping one hand on the wheel. "Here, Sokka, just… try to…"

"Aang, what _is_ this thing?…"

"…Sokka, calm down and maybe he'll…"

"…What the heck?…" The older boy finally managed to capture the flying animal and held it at arm's length, eying it suspiciously. It was a cat, with sleek white fur and a long tail. Its eyes and ears were large—larger than normal—and it had the most peculiar black pattern of stripes down its back. The kitty peered back at the boy with large green eyes. Sokka turned his attention to his new friend. "What is this?" he demanded.

Aang ignored him. "Momo!" he shouted happily. "There you are! So you were hiding in the glove compartment this whole time. I was wondering where you went!" He chuckled as Momo escaped from Sokka's grasp and proceeded to curl up in Aang's lap. "You goofy cat," Aang chided. "Getting yourself locked in the glove compartment…"

Sokka just shook his dark head. Some things were too whacked out to even _think_ about. His new thirteen-year-old friend with the beanie and the deranged cat was just one of them.

After a few moments of riding in silence, Sokka stretched his long arms above his head and said, "I can take over for you now, buddy, if you want to hang out in the back with Katara." He could've sworn he saw a little pink creep into Aang's face, but it could've just been a trick of the night.

"Uh… sure," Aang said, trying not to sound too eager. He let Sokka take control of the wheel with one hand before slipping out the driver's side window, doing much the same thing Sokka did earlier except in reverse—and much more gracefully. He lithely slipped through the window and landed perfectly on the mattress, taking Sokka's spot.

Katara looked startled for a moment before saying happily, "Oh… hey, Aang."

"Hey, Katara," he replied, resting his chin on his knees. "Thanks, by the way. It was really nice of you to let me get some sleep."

The girl tucked a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear. "Oh, don't thank me," she said modestly. "Sokka's the one driving."

Aang just smiled; there really was no use arguing with her over nothing.

When she looked away, Aang took a moment to look over his new friend. She was very pretty, with caramel-colored skin and chocolate brown hair. She was kinda like a Twix bar—chocolatey and caramely but nice and soft on the inside… She was so sincere. So kind, so gentle—and the way her eyes sparkled when she looked at him didn't hurt, either. The boy shifted as a funny fluttering feeling settled into his gut. He'd never felt anything quite like it before; maybe he should ask Sokka about it the next time they were alone. Surely if it were related to his sister, the older boy would know about it.

Aang shook his head, trying to erase his thoughts. He spoke only to distract himself. "Katara." His heart jumped again when she looked at him.

"Hmm?" she said softly.

He shifted nervously. "About earlier… when we first met? You asked me a question, and I didn't answer." The boy looked down.

"Oh… that's OK," she replied.

He shook his head adamantly. "No, it's not. You asked an innocent question, and you deserve a reply. Besides… if you're traveling with me, you're bound to find out sooner or later." He tried to smile, but it ended up forced.

"I—" She hesitated. "I don't want to force you into something you don't want to do. But… if you're willing to tell me, then I'll listen."

He nodded gratefully and settled back on his heels. "Well," he began. "I don't really know where to start… Where I come from, I guess." Aang took a breath. "My parents never believed in war—my mother was a pacifist while my father was an active protester against stuff like animal abuse and stem cell research. My dad died in a protest that turned riot soon after I was conceived. My mom was heartbroken, but decided to live for me. She passed away in childbirth." Aang's gray eyes were filled with sadness. "So I went to live with my grandfather Gyatso when I was a baby…" he took a shaky breath, and Katara moved over next to him and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"He was a wonderful man," Aang said softly. "He was hilarious and kind and fun—everything I could want from a grandfather." He smiled. "But before my mother passed away, she neglected to sign any papers that identified Gyatso as my legal guardian, even though he was my own grandfather. When I was six, the government found out and threatened to put me in the foster system. Gyatso violently refused them, keeping me in his care for another seven years before things took a turn for the worse." Aang sighed tiredly. "They forced him to give me up."

The boy buried his face in his knees as he tried to choke back the tears. "Just a few weeks ago, men from a government agency came to our house and said we had stalled long enough. They were going to take me away, and there was nothing Gyatso or I could do about it." He screwed his eyes shut as a few drops of moisture slipped out. "I was so scared… There was no _way_ I was going to be put in the foster system, jumping from home to home, family to family, never to see my loving grandfather again. I was terrified, Katara," he murmured, and the girl comforted him. "I didn't know what to do… so I ran away."

"Hey," the dark girl said softly, touched by his story. "I am so sorry." The boy simply nodded, allowing her to envelop him in a hug. The two stayed that way for a very long time.

Neither knew how long it had been—hours? days? minutes?—before Sokka called from up front, "Hey, guys! Check this out." Aang and Katara scrambled to the side of the pickup to get a better view. There, parked on the side of the road, was a very nice, very new, very _shiny_ black SUV. Aang squinted through the darkness and could make out the shape of an old man and a young teen lounging against the vehicle in the swath cut by the old pickup's headlights.

"Hey," he said. "It looks like they're in trouble. Why don't we stop to help them?"

Sokka grumbled something along the lines of "strangers" and "bad idea," but nevertheless, he pulled up to the handicapped SUV and stopped in the middle of the road. Aang hopped out of the bed while Katara told him to be careful. Aang nodded and walked up to the pair.

The old man was bearded and jovial, and reminded the boy a lot of Santa Clause. The teen, however, wore all black and a scowl on his face. A terrible burn scarred one of his eyes and had completely mutilated his ear. Aang was shocked at the horror of it, but he quickly recovered before waving in a friendly manner.

"Hi," he said. "You guys look like you could use some help."

The pale teenager narrowed his golden eyes. "No," he said curtly, "we don't."

The old gentleman spoke up. "I apologize for my nephew," he said sagely. "He is simply not very fond of strangers. We would appreciate a little help, considering our cell phones don't work out here."

Aang nodded. "Sure thing." He gestured to his white pickup. "My friends run an auto body shop. They're car mechanics, and I'm sure they can fix you up in no time." He smiled toothily.

"That would be wonderful," the elder said gratefully.

Aang said, "OK, well… uh, lemme just…" As he moved closer to the vehicle, the gravelly road he was walking on suddenly became very slippery. He heaved forward, losing his balance and his footing. He gasped as his hand traveled through the air, catching the zipper on his jacket and slamming into the dark black vehicle. As Aang fell downwards, he slid the zipper all the way down the body of the shiny new SUV. "Uuhh…!" He planted his hands in the grass to catch his fall. Gasping, he looked up—

—only to come face-to-face with a large, ugly, huge white scratch in the truck in front of him. Wide-eyed, he scrambled to his feet and stared at the teenage boy, who was gawking at the brand-new scar in his baby's paint job. The pale teen looked at him, surprise written all over his face.

"…You," he growled, face turning into a scowl. Aang backed away, holding up his hands. "You scratched up my brand new paint job, klutz!" Zuko balled his hands into fists and lunged at Aang, but the younger boy scurried away. Katara and Sokka had horrified looks on their faces as they saw Zuko chasing after their new friend.

Aang threw himself into the back of the pickup before shouting, "Step on it, Sokka!" The older teen threw the car into drive and stomped on the gas.

As they peeled away, Zuko stood in the middle of the road, shouting at the top of his lungs. "You ruined my car, you little punk! You try running away, and I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth!"

The thirteen-year-old's chest heaved, his fingers curling around the lip of the bed. His knuckles turned white he was gripping so hard. His eyes were wide with fear, and his body trembled slightly. Katara's face was a look of astonishment. An eerie silence descended on the gang before Sokka spoke up, "Well… I don't think you made any new friends today, Aang."

The boy with the arrow sewn into his beanie could only nod in agreement.

**

* * *

**

**Post Author's Notes:** Aaaah I didn't have enough room for Suki! ): Oh, well; she'll be around next chapter, I swear. (: Oh, and I forgot to mention this last time—this story was inspired by the songs "Out the Window" and "Those Nights," with a little bit of Taylor Swift for effect.

"Out the Window" is sung by Ashley Gearing and is copyright whoever records her music. "Those Nights" is performed by Skillet and is © whoever does their stuff. iPod © Apple. McDonald's © the… McDonald's Company or something. I dunno. Whoever owns that place. This fic © me. Don't steal—it's not nice. Oh, and any and all relations to Lyralocke's fic _Parlor Tricks _is purely accidental.

So? What do you think? Maybe more **Zuko/Iroh **interaction? Or perhaps you'd like to learn about **Zuko's past**? Maybe **more Kataang**? **Less Kataang**? Wanna see **Toph** or **Sokka/Katara sibling stuff**? **Yue or Azula**? **Mai**, **Ty Lee**, **Bumi**, **Jin**, **Song**, **Ozai**, **Ursa**, **Piandao**? Drop me a line and let me know. I don't bite.


	3. Enough New for One Day

**Disclaimer:** _Avatar_ © Nickelodeon and Bryke. It's a good thing, too, because that finale was fifty times better than anything I could've scraped together. Here here!

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to all of my past reviewers: anon, IEatU4Brekfast, kataang412, ViolotQ, AvatarAiris, and avatargirl92008. eCookies for all of you!

Sorry about the long wait for this one, but I've been too busy writing drabbles! So many great ideas, so little time. Don't worry; this is still my pet project, and I'm having so much fun writing it! It's just very hard for me to crank out a 15-page chapter in less than a week. (sweats)

But here it is! Finally. Oh! And something I forgot to mention about this fic—it's modern day, but **not a Southern/Western thing**. It's just normal. There is **no bending and no such thing as the Avatar**. Just to clear that all up.

**Out the Window**

* * *

"_Our friendship may never be perfect. No friendship is. But I hope it will last forever."_

"_One friend in a lifetime is much, two are many, three are hardly possible. Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life, a community of thought, a rivalry of aim."_

"_Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, 'What? You, too? I thought that no one but myself.'"_

_That's what we are._

-on friendship

* * *

The gang rode along in silence. After Aang's scrape with Zuko, the three were content to simply bask in the knowledge that they would probably never see that freaky Emo kid again. And if he did happen to turn up after them, at least they knew they could outrun him. And Aang had been thinking a lot about Sokka's little comment. He was so grateful for his new friends—the first ones he had in a long time. But what if they decided they didn't like him anymore? Or maybe…

What if they got separated?

The young boy's chin rested against his knees, occasionally rattling his teeth together as the rickety old truck jostled along the road. The ride was smooth for the most part, but once the truck hit a particularly large pothole, Aang put his hand out for balance. As he grabbed onto the side of the truck to steady himself, his finger nicked the sharp edge of the plastic shell lining the truckbed. "Ow… dangit." He popped his finger into his mouth, sucking away the blood.

Katara was by his side in a moment. "What happened?"

"I nicked my finger and it's bleeding a little."

The girl brightened. "Oh! Here, I think I packed some Band-Aids in my backpack." Aang could hear Sokka's snickering all the way from the front seat.

"Taking good care of your boyfriend there, Katara?"

"He is _not_ my boyfriend!" she shot back vehemently.

"Whatever," the tan boy acquiesced. But his knowing smirk remained plastered across his face.

Aang felt his heart jump, then sink down quickly. If it was from Katara and Sokka's words or the bumpy stretch of road before them, he couldn't tell. The young girl turned to him, rummaging through her backpack. "Here," she said. "I found one. Now give me your finger."

The thirteen-year-old tentatively reached out towards Katara. She grabbed his hand and carefully wrapped the tiny scratch in the protective Band-Aid. Aang tried to ignore the heat creeping across his face. "There," she said brightly. "All better!" Katara moved to put her trash back in her backpack while her hand brushed against something odd. It was stiff, like an envelope. Curious, she pulled the item out of her pack and looked it over. It was a relatively small, orange packing envelope with her name printed across the top. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "My report card!"

Sokka scoffed, his arm in the window gesturing expressively. "What is that thing still doing in your backpack? School ended like, three weeks ago."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to keep my report card and show it to Dad. I guess I just forgot to take it out of my pack." She moved to put it away but changed her mind in the last moment. "Maybe I had better check and see what I got…"

"Oh please, Katara, it's not that hard. _A_, _A_, _A+_, _A_, another _A_, and maybe an _A-_ if you were feeling particularly lazy that semester." He sighed. "Your report cards are so boring."

"Don't make fun of me!" she shot. Aang nodded in agreement. "At least I actually _try_ instead of just sitting around watching my GPA flash before my eyes! You are so lazy you just let all your teachers stamp your papers with a _C_ without ever thinking twice about it."

Sokka snorted. "Maybe that's because I'm not a nerd without a social life, like you are."

Katara threw her hands up, frustrated. "Well, maybe if you actually _tried_ instead of throwing away your entire future, we wouldn't even be having this conversation! Remember how you built that mechanical catapult in the fourth grade, and you got sent to detention because you accidentally flung a tomato into the teacher's face? That was genius! Maybe if you put your mind to it, you could actually accomplish something with yourself."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Please, sis. Not this old argument."

Aang held up his hands. "Really, guys, it's not a big deal. Why don't we forget about what happened in the past and just focus on having fun now?" Katara shot a glare at the back of her brother's head, but nodded in agreement.

"OK."

"Besides," the dark-haired boy perked up, "maybe we'll meet some cool new people today!" Katara couldn't help but smile. As she moved to put her report card back, a piece of lined paper, folded once, dropped out of her backpack. She picked it up and began reading—it was a note from Gran-Gran. Aang looked over her shoulder. "What's that?"

"A note from Gran-Gran." Sokka perked up as Katara began reading aloud. "'Sokka and Katara, I know you must have mixed feelings about leaving your family behind for Aang, but know this—I love you both and fully approve of your decision. I must say I was guilty of the same thing when I was your age. But if you decide you're going to stay with Aang, then you're going to need this.' And then there's an arrow… Oh my gosh! Look at all this money Gran-Gran sent us!" Aang peered over her shoulder while her brother tried to get a better look from inside the cabin. Katara cleared her throat and began again, "'I do hope it's enough to get you through. I don't know what you three will get yourselves into, but know this—you both found Aang for a reason, and now your destinies are intertwined with his. Katara, I now know that there is hope left for our struggling family. And to Sokka… take good care of your sister.' Hear that, bro?" Katara smirked. Sokka groaned from the driver's seat.

And then Katara read off the last few lines, which went something like this, "'I love you both and wish to have you home safely and as soon as you wish to return. Good luck on your journey, and I sincerely hope you find what you are looking for.' …Wow, that was really nice of Gran-Gran," the dark-skinned girl commented.

Sokka quipped, "Yeah. And what did she mean by that last line?"

Aang shrugged. "Maybe she knew more than she led on… Maybe we're all just looking for something." The boy took a shy glance at his new female friend. "Something important."

Katara carefully placed the note back in her backpack before thinking about her life at the auto body shop. _Maybe we're all just looking for a cute boy to sweep us off our feet—someone we can fall in love with._

She looked at Aang and smiled. _I sure hope that happens to me._

--

Zuko Sozin took a measured breath before tapping the steering wheel lightly with his fingertips. After he chased off that air-headed punk and his two hillbilly friends, Iroh had grabbed onto him and, with some measure of force, managed to calm him down. He tried convincing his nephew it was only a scratch, but Zuko would have none of it. That kid with the arrow had ruined his car, and now he was out for some payback. He didn't care if he had to chase them all the way around the world, but he _would_ find them, and he _would_ get them to pay for a new paint job.

Ironically enough, about an hour after the three had been chased away by Zuko, a towing truck ploughed by and managed to pick them up. Iroh saw it as a stroke of good luck, but Zuko just saw it as an annoyance. After being towed to the nearest town two hours away, and then waiting _forever_ to get his SUV fixed up, they were back on the road again, this time with Zuko at the wheel. He was determined to find that kid again, and he wasn't about to tell Uncle where they were going and who they were after. He would surely disapprove.

A warning light on the dashboard beeped, and the teen had to shield his eyes from the harsh morning sun in order to see what the problem was.

An empty gas tank.

_Perfect_, he groaned. _Another detour._ He pulled off the road and into a gas station, rolling to a stop before a pump. Zuko shook his uncle awake.

"We're out of gas," he said, a hint of an edge in his voice. "I need some money to fill up."

Iroh blinked the sleep from his eyes and sat up. "Oh… of course. Here." He handed Zuko a debit card.

The teen used the card, and while the tank was filling up (Spirits, this had to be the _slowest gas pump in the history of all __**mankind**_), he took a second look at the ugly white scar marring up his truck. Zuko ran his pale fingers along the edge of it. He guessed it wasn't as bad as it could have been… Trust him. He knew a lot about scars. More than he should have.

He remembered the day his father gave him his own. Unconsciously, he fingered the left side of his face.

(But some memories were better off left buried.)

_A thirteen-year-old Zuko lay on his bed, one knee bent and his hands cushioning his head. He breathed out slowly, trying to wash away the anxiety he was feeling. His father, Ozai Sozin, was not a kind man and did not treat his children with any respect—not since their mother left him. He had gotten angry and even verbally abusive, choosing to take his anger out on anything and anyone around him._

_Azula had gotten wonderfully good at blaming things on Zuko, then running away to avoid Ozai's wrath._

_His father stepped into the room the two children shared, slamming the door shut behind him. Ozai's ominous voice broke the silence. "I was not pleased with your performance today at the dinner table, Zuko."_

_Zuko swallowed and stood up to face his father. His head bowed. "I apologize, Father," he said. "I did not mean to offend you."_

_Ozai scoffed. "No, of course you didn't. Only the most important dinner of my career, and you went and ruined it! Do you hate me, Zuko? Do you **want** this family to go into ruin?"_

"_N-No… I am loyal to this family, and I—"_

"_Shut up!" the man roared, smacking him firmly on the side of the head. "I am speaking." He began pacing around the boy, observing everything about him. When Ozai spoke, his voice was cold and even. "I get the feeling you do not respect me," he said._

"_No," Zuko whispered. "I respect you."_

"_Then start **acting** like it!" The boy never saw the fist flying towards his gut; he doubled over, coughing and gasping for air. "Azula was right," Ozai scoffed. "You are weak. Just like your mother."_

"_Mother was **not** weak," Zuko growled from his place on the floor. He looked at his father, defiance radiating from his eyes. "She was strong! Stronger than Azula, and definitely stronger than you! She loved us and cared for us more than you **ever** could!"_

"_ENOUGH!" Ozai attacked his son, but Zuko stepped out of the way. "I will NOT have you blaspheming against this family any longer! As far as I am concerned, your mother is dead, and so are YOU!" The boy snatched his lighter out from under his bed, but Ozai grabbed it away. "Do not play with fire!" he shouted. "You might get _burned_." Zuko cowered as the sadistic man held the flame before his face._

_Desperate, the boy looked towards Azula's dresser and grabbed the first thing he could find. He chucked a can of hairspray at Ozai and listened with satisfaction as the man bellowed with anger. Ozai grabbed the can and ripped the top off, holding it before the open flame in his palm._

_Zuko was terrified, lying on his back before his father. "Please, Father," he begged. "Don't… I am your loyal son, and I never meant to dishonor you!"_

"_ZUKO!" Iroh stood in the doorway, watching in horror as the events before him unfolded._

"_Stay out of this, brother!" Ozai snarled. "Zuko is no son of mine! He is weak. He needs to learn respect, and suffering shall be his teacher…"_

_Zuko struggled to get away, attempting to kick or punch any part of Ozai that he could. Self-preservation kicked in, and he stared, wide-eyed, as his father struggled to hold him down. Ozai pushed and the steady stream of flammable gases lit up, erupting in a macabre fireball as they flew past the lighter towards Zuko's left side. The boy screamed. Ozai laughed. Iroh hid his face in horror._

Zuko took a deep, cleansing breath. That had been three years ago. He had moved on after his father had practically banished him from his own home…

At least, he was pretty sure he had moved on.

Maybe if he could convince his father he wasn't completely worthless, he would allow him to come home. Zuko removed his hand from his scar. The pump clicked, and he finished up, climbing back into the driver's seat. He started up the car and drove away, trying to ignore his uncle's questioning glances.

_Home._

--

Aang's head jerked to the side as he was violently shaken awake. He groaned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, shielding himself from the bright morning light. He yawned and took a look around, trying to gauge where they were…

A familiar sign flew by. Aang gasped and rapped quickly on Sokka's arm. "Sokka, stop! Pull over! I've gotta see this place!"

"Whuh…? Sure." They were driving along a winding, two-lane road with only a slim aluminum guardrail between them and a sheer dropoff. In the distance, the green foothills of Colorado rolled along at the base of the larger mountains in the background. Evergreens and deciduous foliage unfurled across the early sun-kissed landscape. Sokka pulled Appa over into a space designed for sight-seeing and parked in the gravelly area. He, Katara, and Aang hopped out and read the sign—Estes Park.

"This is amazing!" Aang chattered excitedly. "My grandpa Gyatso worked as a park ranger here!"

Katara grabbed his shoulder. "Aang, I'm not sure. With all the dry weather we've been having and the droughts across the state, it's possible things have changed…"

Aang leaned over and planted his hands on the guardrail. His look of excitement turned to a look of horror. Sokka came up behind him. "Hey buddy, I… Oh, no." The beautiful landscape before them was marred and ugly—a huge black mass swept across the valley floor, a giant scar against the relative beauty of the mountains. "It's… it's burned," the older boy said helplessly. Aang's hands shook as he gripped the metal railing.

"That's not all," Aang said, a soft chill in his voice. He pointed, and on the edges of the horizon, Sokka could barely make out the beginnings of some new buildings. Aang's voice was nearly silent when he spoke, "They're building over it. Those people are putting up casinos and strip clubs instead of planting trees and taking care of the animals…" His voice shook violently. "And… and the burn. There must have been a huge forest fire… Gyatso would've been there, doing his best to put the fire out."

"Aang," Katara's gentle voice broke through his grief, "I know you're angry and upset about the park, and about Gyatso… but I think you need to move on. If your grandfather really… y'know, isn't coming back, at least you know he was doing what he loved, and what was right." The boy nodded, screwing his eyes shut tightly. She added, "And besides, you don't need to be upset. You've got Appa and Momo, and, for what it's worth, us." The girl looked towards her brother, and he nodded, resting a hand on Aang's shoulder as Katara bent down and enveloped the boy in a hug. "Sokka and I are your family now," she muttered into his ear.

He nodded, clinging tightly to her shirt. "Yeah… I know. But I miss him."

No more words were spoken. (In truth, what could've been said?) But after a while, the new little rag-tag family climbed back into Appa and drove off.

After a while, they left the winding cliffside of the foothills and entered a more slowly-rising, forested area. Up ahead, Sokka spotted a large wooden sign that read, 'Kyoshi Girls' Summer Camp.' "Oooh, that sounds interesting. What do you think, Momo?" The cat uncurled itself from the passenger's seat and let out a chirp. Sokka absently scratched the animal behind the ears. "You know, I was thinking the same thing." He swiftly jerked Appa off the paved road and onto the gravel drive of the all-girls camp. _This is gonna be awesome._

"Sokka!" his sister called from the back. "What are you doing? This is an all girls camp, stupid."

Aang grabbed her sleeve. "I think he knows that…"

Katara rolled her blue eyes. "Oh brother…"

An older man with a small mustache and crazy gray hair approached them. "My name is Mung, and I run this camp. What can I do for you?"

Aang popped in front of him. "Hi! My friends and I were just stopping by for a visit. We were curious as to what sort of camp you were running."

Sokka looked more interested in inspecting the mess hall than paying attention to his friends. Katara said, "I'm Katara. That's Aang with the arrow, and the skeptical one is my brother, Sokka." Sokka raised a hand, not bothering to turn around. "We're travelers, and we were also wondering if you knew of a good place to stay for a few nights, maybe like a hotel or something?"

Mung nodded and stroked his odd blue outfit. "Yes, actually. Besides this camp, I also run a bed and breakfast just up the road from here—with the help of some of my counselors, of course." He laughed. "If you need a place to stay, I'm sure myself and the girls would be happy to take you in for a while."

Katara and Aang looked ecstatic. "Thank you, sir," the girl said gratefully. "That's very kind of you."

The man smiled. "No problem at all. It's great to see young travelers like yourselves taking an interest in this old camp. Let me show you around." While Mung took Aang and Katara on a tour of the camp, Sokka decided to do some investigating of his own. The mess hall and chapel were on the far right, while the playing field was far behind him. Cabins were up a long hill on the left, and the lake and basketball courts were directly in front. He decided basketball was more interesting than the nurse's office, so he headed towards the lake.

The tan teenager's sandals crunched against the gravel as he walked around the base of the hill towards the basketball court. There in front of him, the older female counselors were playing a friendly game of six-on-six while their little campers rested in the cabins. The girls were outfitted in tank tops and skimpy basketball shorts. _Dear Lord, I am one lucky man today._

"Hey girls," he said suavely. "Basketball?"

"Yeah," a dark-haired one said.

Then a girl with auburn-red hair and striking blue eyes strode forward, basketball tucked under her arm. "What's it to you?"

Sokka brushed her off. "My friends and I are new around here, so I was just… checking out the scenery." A few girls caught the joke and giggled, but thankfully, the red-haired girl did not. "I was admiring you girls play basketball."

"Well, how very kind of you," she shot sardonically. "I'm Suki, and these are the other counselors around camp. We've all got ranks around here—first years are Maidens, second years are Gatherers, and so on. We're counselors, so you can just call us the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Kyoshi Warriors, huh?" He stroked his chin. "Well, I'm Sokka. And where I come from, I'm _pretty_ good at basketball."

"Really?" Suki rolled her eyes. "Do tell."

"Yup. I couldn't help but notice that brick you just threw a few minutes ago—" Suki's face brightened, "—and I was just wondering if I could give it a shot. I can't possibly suck any more than you do."

The girl's blue eyes narrowed. "Fine," she growled, shoving the ball into his hands. "Amaze me."

"Hmm." Sokka took the ball and stood on the court, lining himself up for what he thought should be a perfect shot. He threw it… and it was a huge airball. The boy felt his cheeks flush as the girls around him giggled.

Suki planted her hands on her hips. "You can't possibly suck any more than I do, huh?" she taunted. "Well, I don't know about that."

Sokka pursed his lips, not about to be deterred. "How high did you say this thing was?"

"Eight feet."

"Oh, well that explains it. I'm used to shooting seven and a half."

Suki shook her head in disbelief. "Whatever. Try again, oh mighty one." Sokka's eyes narrowed as he snatched the ball off the ground. There was a lovely _swishing_ noise as the basketball hit nothing but net. He smirked in satisfaction as the ball bounced away.

Suki looked on. One of the other counselors piped up, "How'd you do that? You suck."

Sokka smirked. "I told you, I'm used to shooting seven and a half. I just adjusted the arch in my throw and tossed it a little higher than usual."

The leader of the girls was not impressed. "You get an _A_ in physics, smart aleck?"

"Um… no." Suddenly, Sokka found the ground much more interesting than the girls. "I get straight _C_'s."

Suki just cocked her eyebrow and walked off. "I'm getting the ball," she said over her shoulder. "It rolled off onto the dock."

"Oh!" Sokka jumped after her. "Here, let me come with you." The red-haired girl sighed but let him tag along, anyway. She walked off to the edge of the wooden dock and picked up the ball, taking a few moments to admire the afternoon sun shining across their little lake. "It's so pretty out here," Sokka said suddenly from behind her. Suki jumped, then sighed when she realized who it was.

"Don't do that again."

Sokka grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

The sixteen-year-old took another look at her—another _real_ look—and decided that the sun made beautiful highlights in her auburn hair. "You look… nice today," he said softly.

Suki blinked her blue eyes, mouth parted in surprise. "Thanks…?" She smiled. Sokka grinned and turned back towards the lake while Suki placed the basketball on the dock, gesturing for the other girls to join her. Suddenly, Sokka felt a hand on his back and could only open his mouth in horror as he plunged head-first into the murky lakewater. He came up, sputtering and splashing around.

"What…?"

Suki's arms were crossed, a satisfied smirk on her face while her fellow counselors giggled uncontrollably. "And that, girls, is how you own a smart-mouthed know-it-all."

Sokka felt his cheeks burn as he lowered his face into the water. This was going to be a long vacation.

--

Zuko groaned as his Uncle Iroh launched into another less-than-thrilling tale about his days as a construction worker. Zuko didn't really care if Iroh had spent his days building Porta-Potties or Brittany Spears' new high-rise apartment, he just _really_ didn't want to hear any more stories about "the good old days." "Uncle," he said in misery, "could you not? I'm not interested in hearing stories about bricks and mud, however _regaling_ they might be."

The old man chuckled. "Nephew, though I admit my stories are far from interesting, they do more than simply break the silence. Perhaps if you took a moment to listen, you could learn a little something."

The teen rolled his amber eyes. "I don't believe this…" Just then, he spotted the tell-tale flashing red and blue of a cop car in his rear-view mirror. Muttering some unsavory curses, he reluctantly (and violently) jerked the SUV off the road. The officer pulled up and stepped out of the squad car, taking his time to walk up to the driver's window.

"Well, well, who do we have here? I do believe it's Zuko, son of the most powerful man in the world, and his incompetent uncle, General Iroh." The uniformed man smirked, stroking his sideburns lightly.

"_Retired_ general, actually," Iroh corrected.

"Zhao," Zuko spat, "what are you doing here?" Officer Zhao leaned through the open window.

"I couldn't help but notice that horrible scratch on your truck," he said in a mock-concerned voice. "Tell me, what happened?"

The pale teen pursed his lips, trying to think up a lie. If Zhao knew that some kid had screwed up his paint job, that would give the man license to mock him for the rest of his life. "Um… you wouldn't believe what happened…" He looked towards Uncle and elbowed him in the ribs. "Uncle, tell Officer Zhao what happened."

"Oh, uh… well, you wouldn't believe it if you saw it! We crashed… right into this huge brown Hummer."

"We… crashed?" Zuko looked towards Iroh, who nodded quickly. "Yeah! It was very awful, and you had to have been there."

The monkey-man smirked. "Really. Well, there's a coffee shop just up the road from here if you're willing to join me, Iroh. You must regale me with all the… _thrilling_ details."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "Sorry, but we have to go. Now if you're not going to give me a ticket, I suggest you step away from my vehicle."

Zhao gave a sideways grin and backed up. "It was nice meeting with you gentlemen. Give your father my regards."

"Definitely!" Iroh piped. Zuko peeled away, flinging gravel all over the place. Secretly he hoped that a huge rock would hit Zhao square in the forehead… Iroh sighed. "What a lovely conversation."

Zuko grumbled in response and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. All he wanted to do now was find that kid with the arrow and his two friends. Zhao could burn and die for all he cared.

**

* * *

**

**Post Author's Notes:** Whoo! I hope I introduced Suki and Zhao all right; I was a little worried that Suki acted like she "liked" Sokka too much. ): I'm not quite sure. But don't worry! Next up: **more Sukka**,** more Kataang**, and **more Zuko/Iroh interaction**! Maybe you'll even find out **why Zuko is traveling with Uncle** in this story, LOL. (: Hope you liked everything so far.

So, what next? I'm thinking **Foamy**, **Koko**, and some **beach volleyball at Kyoshi Summer Camp**. What do y'all think? Oh, and if anyone knows, can someone tell me what **OTP means**? I'm afraid I'm very unplugged and outdated… So if you could, I would appreciate you so much. Comments, reviews, and suggestions all welcome! :D


	4. Serious Talks

**Disclaimer:** _Avatar _© Nickelodeon and Bryke. I own this work of fiction.

**Author's Notes:** Special thanks to anonymous, TTAvatarfan, ViolotQ, and Katsumara for reviewing. Shoutout to **ViolotQ**, my most critique-ful and brutally honest reviewer yet. (:

Um… yeah. I said it wouldn't follow the show, and it won't. But the beginning few chapters will, just because I need to introduce certain characters without making them too OOC; I also need to add certain experiences and make them authentic; have them travel to certain places, etc. But don't worry—this story is original.

Aah! D: I think that last chapter was the most un-original one I have written so far. (bangs head repeatedly) I hate it I hate itIhateitIhateit…

**Out the Window**

_

* * *

_

_Um… OK, yeah. These next few days at camp are gonna be interesting, to say the least. I can see Aang giving me sideways glances, and his face always flushes. Whenever I think of him, _my_ face does the same thing, and I get a weird feeling in my stomach. I haven't felt so good since my ex-boyfriend._

_I hope Aang doesn't end up like him…_

_And what's up with Sokka, anyways? He's been ogling that red-haired chick Suki this _whole time_. Quite frankly, it's getting annoying, and I don't even get it, either. _They don't get along. At all. PERIOD. _…So why is he always talking about her and staring at her and crap like that? I mean God, Sokka, it's just a bikini. I wear one all the time, now get over it._

…_Boys._

* * *

Aang and Katara followed the gray-haired man as he made his way through the camp, taking a moment to point at this or that and explain things before moving on. Aang looked on in awe; there was a high ropes course, a huge soccer field, a motorbike track, not to mention a huge amphitheater, complete with a fire pit, on the edge of the lake where the final campfire at the end of the summer was traditionally held. There was a steep slope from the mess hall down to the lake, so logs were dug up into the side of the hill for makeshift seats. It really was amazing.

Mung paused at the nurse's office. "I'm afraid our resident nurse is out for today," he said regretfully. "So if anyone in your group gets injured, you'll have to fend for yourselves."

Katara smiled. "That's fine; I've got medicine and stuff. Thanks for showing us around, Mung."

The man grinned back. "It was my pleasure. But I'm afraid I've gotta go back to my office; signing checks and all that fun stuff. You kids have a good time, OK? Don't let any of those girls intimidate you."

Aang stuck out his tongue. "Definitely not," he said, waving as the man walked away.

Katara turned to her friend. "Well, that was interesting," she said. "I can't believe they crammed all that awesome stuff into this tiny camp!"

Aang nodded enthusiastically. "I know, right? I wonder if Sokka found anything cool."

Katara twisted around. "Oh yeah… we kinda left him behind, didn't we?"

The boy just smirked. "Well, now that our tour's over, I think I'm going to move Appa. He's not doing very much good sitting in the middle of camp."

"That's a great idea! Oh… except… Sokka still has the keys." She made a face.

Aang facepalmed. "Dang. Now we're gonna have to go and find him."

"Shouldn't be too hard." The dark girl shrugged. "He _is_ Sokka, after all."

Aang offered a lopsided smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Katara couldn't help but feel her face flush a light red color. _Aang really looks adorable when he grins like that. _She shook her head to clear the thoughts away and gestured for Aang to follow her. "Come on, I think Mung said the basketball court was this way. And if it's one thing I know Sokka's up to, it's playing sports."

The thirteen-year-old agreed and jogged after his friend. They made their way to the basketball court, where a group of older teens were sitting on a bench. A bunch of younger girls were sitting at their feet, listening as their counselors told stories and explained the new agenda for the day.

The duo walked up to them. Aang said, "Hey, have you girls seen our friend?"

Katara spoke, "He's my brother. About this tall, blue streaks in his hair, super-big ego?"

The blue-eyed girl in the middle—obviously their leader—crossed her arms. "Yeah, we've seen him," she said. "Gorgeous blue eyes, a sharp tongue, and a thick skull?" Katara nodded. "He's over at the docks, probably moping. The girls and I really taught him a thing or two about basketball." The counselors and campers alike let out a giggle.

"Thanks," Aang said. Katara sighed and walked away.

"I swear, my brother is such an idiot sometimes," she mumbled.

Aang couldn't disagree. "Yeah…" His gray eyes swept the grassy dirt beneath him, not really wanting to side in an argument regarding Sokka. They were both his friends, and he didn't want to fight with anyone. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Hey… did that girl say Sokka had 'gorgeous blue eyes'?"

Katara ignored him. "Look, there he is," she said, pointing at a silhouette sitting on the edge of the dock. They made their way over the rickety planks and stopped behind him.

Aang grimaced. "Dude… you're soaking wet."

His sister just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "We need the car keys," she said abruptly, holding out a hand.

The boy fished around in his pocket before thrusting the keys into Katara's outstretched hand. "Don't remind me," he grumbled to Aang. He sighed and rested his chin on his palm. "Why did they have to be so violent? You know, a simple, 'Hey Sokka, you're being a moron' would've sufficed."

Katara smirked. "Hey Sokka, you're being a moron."

He smacked her leg. "Not you, stupid. Suki."

Aang looked confused. "Suki?"

The older teen nodded. "Yeah… you know, gorgeous blue eyes, reddish-brown hair, and stubborn as a mule?"

"Ooh… so that's her name."

"Yup." He let out a breath and turned to stare at the lake. Water dripped down his neck and over his eyes, effectively gluing his darkish-brown hair to his skin.

"Well, we have what we came for," Katara said off-handedly, swinging the keys around her middle finger. "Let's leave Captain Angstbucket to mope about his girlfriend."

"She is _not_ my girlfriend!" Sokka shouted after the duo's retreating figures. He planted his face in his hands. "At least not yet, anyways." That last part was just the result of his mind playing a horrible, horrible game with him. Surely he didn't actually _like_ her… did he? Well, certainly not after the way she humiliated him in front of everybody. He snorted. She was just mad he had one-upped her in basketball.

Well, he could always fight back… But, Sokka reasoned, it was always better to make an attempt in joining a girl. Fighting her would only make things worse.

See? Fifteen years of living with Katara had finally taught him something useful.

But first, he desperately needed to find a towel.

--

"Come on, girls, I think you've had enough time in the lake." A chorus of groans and complaints from Suki's little campers only dampened the Kyoshi girl's mood. She frowned and ushered them out of the murky water, helping them into towels and clothes so they could make the walk back up the gravelly hill towards their cabin. She waved goodbye to her remaining fellow counselors and placed a hand on the backs of the two slowest girls, instructing the rest of her troop to move ahead. A particularly hyper camper named Koko was at the head of her group, chattering on with her friends about this and that.

"Did you see that guy with the arrow on his hat?" she giggled to her friends.

"Oh yeah! He was really cute."

"I don't know… his friend didn't seem to like us much."

Koko made a face. "As long as she's not his _girlfriend_, I don't really mind." Her friends laughed with her.

When they made it to the cabin, Suki and the girls stripped down and got into their swimsuits to prepare for showers before dinner. There was a separate bathhouse beside the cabins where the showers, toilets, and sinks were located. And even though there was a boys' side and a girls' side, the campers used both, considering this was an all-girls' camp. The only difference between the bathrooms now was that one room had urinals.

Suki, dressed in a green bikini with gold buckles, led the way, allowing her campers to go in the girls' side while a few of the older ones waited outside for their turn. She said, "I'm going in this side. If you need anything, just call me, and I'll be out in a flash." The girls nodded, and Suki stepped inside, placing her towel, soap, and bathing stuff down on the wooden bench that lined the room. What she didn't notice, however, was that there was someone else in the room with her.

"Holy sh—!" Suki whirled around to see that dark-skinned boy from earlier—surprised, dripping wet, and shirtless.

"What are you doing in here!" Suki shouted.

Sokka ran a hand through his hair. "I could ask you the same thing."

The girl planted her hands on her hips, forgetting her current state of undress. "This is an all-girls' camp, genius," she snarked. "We use _both_ bathrooms."

"…Oh."

Suki watched as a droplet of water ran down Sokka's neck and dripped across his chest. She coughed, feeling her face heat up and an unsettling feeling linger in her stomach. "And… and get a shirt on," she muttered, turning away from him. She felt his eyes glue to her body, skimming up and down before settling hesitantly on her face. She grabbed her towel and watched as Sokka reached for his own. "What are _you_ staring at?" She glared at him.

His blue eyes snapped up immediately. "Um… nice… bathing suit," he muttered.

Suki blinked. He liked her bathing suit…? How odd. Most guys would just say, "Nice rack," or something equally as horrible; she'd slap them, walk away, end of story. But then again, what kind of a girly man commented on fashion? She smirked. "You must be pretty secure in your 'masculinity' to comment me on my choice of clothing," she said, flipping her hair over one shoulder.

Sokka grinned. "Well, yeah, I try to be… But I'm serious, too. It really looks nice on you."

She searched the boy's face. He was genuine—the first of many, _many_ countless others. So Suki decided the least she could do was offer it back. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself. You know, considering your shorts are about soaked through and your shirt's way over there."

A dark brown eyebrow shot up. "Yup, no thanks to you."

She laughed. "You're welcome." And with that, she gathered her showering supplies and walked out, headed for the girls' room. "See ya later, Sokka."

The dark teen felt something in his chest flip-flop. "See ya, Suki." And as the paler female walked away, Sokka couldn't help but let one thought invade his mind—

_That's some girl._

--

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully for Katara and Aang. After the boy parked Appa on a gravelly hill beside the playing field, the couple began walking down the hill towards the mess hall. "Wow," Katara commented, "I can't believe it's six already. What have we been doing all day?"

Aang offered her a look out of the corner of his gray eyes. "Time flies when you're having fun." They pushed open the double doors and saw rows of tables lined up in the middle of the room; all of them were full of little campers, with at least one teenaged counselor at the head. They saw Suki and another counselor sitting at a long table with a wooden plaque labeled "Cheyenne."

"I wonder what they're having for dinner tonight," Aang questioned. He looked at his dark friend, but Katara simply shrugged and made her way into line. Since they didn't have a cabin of their own, they couldn't pick up each dish and take it to the table like the other cabins did; instead, they had to go to the food counter and get individual helpings from the cooks. It was meatloaf night, so Aang, being a vegetarian, asked for an extra helping of steamed vegetables. The two sat down at a small, empty round table at the back of the room.

After a few moments of eating in silence, Sokka made their way towards his friends and sat down heavily on one of the plastic stools attached to the table. He sighed and began shoveling meatloaf into his mouth. His sister cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

He looked at her, head shaking slightly side to side. "What what?" he echoed.

"It looks like you just broke up with your girlfriend, buddy," Aang offered around a mouthful of steamed carrots.

Sokka just sighed again and stuck his fork into his mashed potatoes. "I never had a girlfriend in the first place," he muttered crossly. "It's just… Suki." The boy groaned, running a hand through his dark hair. "She's so aggravating, you know? I try to talk to her and be nice and all that crap, but all she does is stiff me and brush me off. I swear, I think she has a vendetta against me. Or… y'know, men in general, even."

Katara nodded. "That's understandable. Some women just don't find men appealing."

Sokka's blue eyes got huge, and he blinked stupidly. "Are you inferring… that maybe Suki is a _lesbian_?"

Aang nearly fell out of his chair. Katara coughed on her lemonade. "N-no, not at all. I meant to say that I think she just doesn't get along with men that well. Maybe because of an ex-boyfriend or her father was a jerk or something like that." She shrugged. "You never know."

The teen pursed his lips. "I suppose that's a possibility." He mulled it over in his mind, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It just _really_ bugs me that we can't get along."

Katara giggled behind her hand as Aang said under his breath, "I think it _bugs_ you that she's not completely, head-over-heels, falling in love with you." Sokka glared.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Maybe you should just talk to her," Katara offered.

"Hmm. Maybe." He looked down at his meatloaf, hoping that perhaps the answer to all his problems would spell itself out in his mashed potatoes. …Yeah, he kinda figured. The mashed potatoes failed to tell him anything. The teen tapped his fingers on the table for a moment before picking up his tray and walking to the Cheyenne table. The little girls—including Koko—giggled loudly, and Suki's fellow counselor elbowed her in the ribs when he approached.

"Um… hi," Sokka said awkwardly. He shifted nervously; he really felt stupid standing up in front of all these campers.

Suki blinked at him. "…Hi?" It was more of a question than a statement. Abruptly, Sokka set his tray down and slid onto the stool next to Suki's.

He wasn't really sure where to begin, but if he wanted to patch things up with this girl, then he guessed an apology was as good an idea as any. "Well…" Jeez, he didn't have much experience with stuff like this. "…uh, I guess I just wanted to say… sorry. About earlier. Girls can be just as good at sports as guys can—heck, sometimes even better. Living with Katara, I should know that by now." He finally lifted his gaze from his potatoes and offered a small smile towards Suki. The girl just looked utterly shocked. He continued, "I know I can be kinda xenophobic sometimes, but hey. That's what growing up in a small town will do to you." He shrugged.

Suki just shook her head. "So… you came over here to apologize?"

"Yup. …OK, and, well… maybe to get an explanation, too." He leaned towards her. "I know I'm not smart or cool or amazing or any of the above, but did you have to be so harsh? I understand payback, but still." He shook his head. "Why don't you like me?"

The blue-eyed girl sat back on her stool. Suddenly, her meatloaf looked extremely interesting. "I don't know," she offered finally. "Probably because when you walked on campus—an _all-girls'_ campus—you just had this _something_ about you that really grated my nerves. And then you started acting really sexist, so I just got ticked off." She shrugged, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"Well, if it means anything, I'm really sorry for acting that way; I hope you might start liking me back one of these days." He smiled genuinely.

Suki felt her stomach flip. "Like you back?" she echoed.

Sokka's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, well… you know. As… friends. And stuff." He coughed.

Suki shifted on her stool. He seemed like a fairly nice guy… but then again, didn't they all? She'd have to get to know him a little bit better before anything stupid started spilling from her mouth. Stupid phrases like, "You're cute" or "I think I might like you."

Y'know. Stupid, girly stuff like that.

This was retarded.

She pursed her lips. "I don't think so," she said finally.

Sokka looked at her, genuinely confused and a little bit downtrodden. "Why not?" he asked automatically.

Suki felt bad for shoving him off like this, but guys were just general idiots. She had no doubt in her mind that Sokka was no exception. "Because… you're a guy," she offered lamely, her face flushing red with guilt and a little bit of shame. She quickly gathered up her tray and cleaned up her mess, scampering through the doors and out towards the cabins. Sokka blinked and exchanged glances with Suki's other co-counselor, who simply shrugged and offered a sympathetic smile.

He sighed, poking at his food. "…Now who's being sexist," he muttered dejectedly.

--

Aang glanced between his two friends. Sokka was still at the Cheyenne table, looking rejected and utterly miserable, while Katara was eating her food calmly while pretending not to notice. "You know," Aang said, "I can't help but feel bad for Sokka. I think he really likes Suki."

Katara eyed him. "I think he does, too," she said carefully. "But I think he needs to learn some things about girls before Suki is willing to show any form of affection towards him. Even if they just stay friends."

Aang picked at his potatoes. "Yeah… I guess," he muttered. "I just know it would really suck to be turned down by a girl you really like. Especially when all you're trying to do is patch things up."

Katara didn't really know what to say to that. So instead, she finished her food and took care of her tray; walking towards the door, she looked at Aang one more time before heading towards the docks. It was a beautiful evening, and she wanted to spend it near the water. She needed some time to think, anyway.

--

After Katara left, Aang really seemed to lose his appetite. He dumped his food and walked out of the mess hall, unknowingly following the path towards the Arts and Crafts cabin. The young teen wasn't really thinking as he entered the shelter, even going so far as to ignore the lovely sunset—a beautiful natural happening that he usually loved to watch. But instead, he made his way inside and sat down at a paint-splattered table.

Why would Katara leave, anyway? Was it something he said?

As they had been traveling together, Aang had noticed something—he was really starting to like her. You know, in the almost-more-than-friends sort of way. She was pretty, smart, and dedicated, and he wanted to show her just what he thought of her.

Suddenly, a young girl with blue eyes and dark hair ran up to him. "Hi!" she said loudly. "My name's Koko."

Never one to be rude, Aang said, "It's nice to meet you, Koko. I'm Aang."

The girl giggled. "I like your arrow," she said, pointing to his hat.

"Oh… really?" The teen rubbed a finger over the familiar pattern. "I do, too. It's almost part of my identity now."

The girl nodded her head, eager to please her new friend. "What are you doing in here?" she asked.

"Um… I was just thinking about a girl I like." Koko's face lit up when he said this.

"You should make her something nice," she told him, somehow weaving a giggle into her words. Without saying anything else, Koko scurried towards the back of the room and pulled out a box of twine and some beads; she placed them on the table in front of Aang. He blinked at the box, then looked at her questioningly.

Koko ignored him when she heard her name being called from outside the cabin. "That's my counselor; she's probably mad I ran off again." She giggled. "I'll see you later… Aang."

The teen looked again at the box of twine and beads. Make her something nice…?

Yeah. He could definitely do that.

--

Katara sat on the edge of the dock, her shoes and socks resting in a pile beside her. She softly splashed the murky lakewater with her feet, grateful that she had worn capris so her pants wouldn't get wet. The sun had set long ago, but for some reason, she didn't feel the urge to head towards Mung's place. There were so many thoughts swirling through her head right now—memories of her mother's death, the abandonment of her father, everything she had left at home… but most prevalent of all was Aang.

She couldn't seem to get that thirteen-year-old out of her mind. She didn't really mean to stiff him when she left at dinner; she just really had some important things she needed to sort out.

The dark girl felt a little twinge in her stomach. She loved her brother, and she certainly liked Aang, but… were they ever going to visit home again? Katara never would've traded her life on the road with Aang and her brother, but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about leaving Gran-Gran on her own. Maybe, when this was all over, they could visit her every now and again. She knew there was nothing more real or nothing more horrifying for an elderly person than the thought of being alone forever.

She heard the boards creak behind her—Aang was approaching. When he spoke, his voice was soft and timid. "Hi Katara." He sat down beside her on the dock, but she refused to look him in the eyes. "I… made something for you. As sort of a thank-you gift for coming with me. I know it's not much, but—" Quickly, he placed a braided piece of jewelry into her hands.

Katara looked at it. In her palm was a bracelet, woven by hand from blue- and white-colored twine. Little stars hung down from it, and in the center hung the shape of a silver crescent moon, just slightly larger than the others. Two hooks tied to the ends assured that she could get it on and off easily. But, unlike most camp-made lanyards, this bracelet was thin and delicate, without all the mis-ties and ugly knots of an inexperienced worker. Aang's bracelet was slim and beautiful, and she gasped slightly.

"Aang," she said, enthralled, "it's beautiful!" The girl smiled genuinely as Aang clipped the bracelet around her wrist. "I love it." Katara's voice was soft now, and Aang couldn't help but be star-struck with her. She sucked him in.

Simultaneously, they leaned in toward each other, one using the other for support as they gazed up at the star-filled sky. Katara sighed and fingered her new bracelet contentedly, while Aang focused on the warm feeling of her shoulder on his. He looked up and marveled at the many constellations, their flaming brilliance echoed in his gray eyes. "It's an amazing sight," he said. "All those stars and planets and constellations."

"Yes," the girl agreed. "It is."

After a few comfortable moments, Aang said, "Actually, I know a better place where we can see the stars." He jumped up excitedly and pulled Katara to her feet. She laughed and asked where they were going, but the only reply she got was a smile and a wink. Her heart jumped. They raced up the amphitheater and beyond the cabins, toward the gravel parking lot near the soccer fields. When they arrived, Aang pulled the keys from his pocket and pulled open the door of his truck, reaching inside and tugging out a worn blanket.

A ball of mewling fur jumped out at them and landed on Katara's shoulder. "Momo! You were in there the whole time?" She scratched the cat under his chin as he purred in contentment.

Aang hopped onto the roof of the truck and set out the blanket; Katara followed shortly afterwards. The kids lay on their backs, gazing at the stars and the constellations, while Momo lay curled up between them. They laughed and talked like children into the wee hours of the morning; and while the little remaining light slowly faded away into pitch blackness, so did their voices slowly dwindle to hushed whispers.

Like they were almost afraid to break the companionable silence between them.

Aang and Katara, lying on top of the pickup truck under a blanket of summertime stars, eventually fell asleep next to each other.

--

Sokka trudged through the woods away from camp. It was just a short walk to Mung's bed and breakfast, and he really didn't want to feel like he was blowing the kind man off. When he reached the small establishment, he really wasn't surprised to see it was just a large house converted to accommodate guests. Sokka stepped inside to what used to be the living room and paused as he saw his host sitting on the sofa, a cup of hot coffee in hand. "Hello, Sokka," the old man greeted him. "I'm afraid your friends haven't shown up yet."

The teen closed the door behind him and sat down in one of the leather armchairs. The house seemed cozy and hospitable enough; the silver studding in the furniture and the wooden paneled walls really made the home seem "manly." Mung offered Sokka a mug of coffee, and he accepted it gratefully. "That's OK," he said. "Whatever they're up to, I'm sure they're taking care of each other."

Mung nodded, his crazy gray hair bobbing up and down. Sokka choked back a snort. "You're very lucky to have such friends—dedicated to each other."

The dark boy just dumped a spoonful of sugar into his coffee and drank it down heartily. "I guess you're right," Sokka said as the warm liquid settled into his stomach. He leaned further into the chair.

"I think you've had a long day, what with meeting Suki and the other warriors," Mung laughed. "Yours and your friend's room is the first on the left. And if your sister shows up, hers is the one next to yours." He nodded towards the staircase.

Sokka rubbed his eyes. "You knew about Suki?"

The man chuckled. "Yes. I consider those girls to be practically my own. They live here around the clock, so I guess I'm like a father figure to them." He shook his head. "But I know Suki. She's got a lot of spunk, that one. Always putting up a fight for what she wants."

The teen snorted. "Yeah, I think I experienced that first-hand."

Mung placed his mug on the coffee table and patted Sokka's shoulder. "You're a lucky man. Most of the time, she simply dismisses other guys without a second glance."

Sokka sighed. "I don't get it, though. I think she practically hates me." He rested his head in his hands. "Actually, I _know_ she practically hates me. We really didn't hit it off, and it seems like everything I say to her… she just turns it around and makes me feel like the bad guy."

The man's face turned from smiling to serious. "Suki… hasn't had much experience with men. The guys who are actually brave enough to approach her usually get shoved off immediately. Men are a foreign concept to her, considering she's grown up here; the only man she knows extremely well is me, and I'm more like a father to her than anything. If you give her some time and some space to think, I'm sure she'll come around eventually. Just keep reaching out for her, and soon enough, she'll start reaching back."

Sokka didn't seem entirely convinced, but the boy was tired, so he simply nodded. "I guess I should head to bed now," he yawned, stretching his arms above his head. He got up and made his way towards the stairs, pausing for a second to say "thank you" to his host. Mung smiled amiably, and Sokka was content. Walking into the room he was supposed to share with Aang, he barely had time to kick off his shoes before he collapsed on one of the beds.

--

Iroh sat cross-legged in the grass as he watched his nephew carefully over his thermos. After traveling nearly all day, the old man had bought a few supplies at a grocery store and had insisted on having a picnic—much to Zuko's chagrin. The teen didn't seem to be enjoying his uncle's company or his plan for a moment of peace, no matter how tranquil their camping site was. Iroh knew that Zuko was restless and eager for a fight; he needed a little release, and having a plan and a goal was just the thing to ease his tension. But the old man also knew that there was more to this little trip than what his nephew was letting on.

Zuko continued to sit and stare off into the distance, absently flicking his lighter on and off, on and off. Iroh tried to strike up a conversation. "You know, Nephew, you should try some of this powdered tea drink. It's really not all that bad, considering it's mass produced. But tea, no matter where it is made, has the ability to take the edge off of any problem."

"Uncle," the pale teen said, gazing at his uncle with narrowed golden eyes, "how many times do I have to tell you—I don't _like_ tea."

"Don't _like_ tea?!" The old general scoffed. "I can't believe a member of my own family could say something so awful. Tea is like alcohol—when you are faced with a situation that seems too large for you alone to handle, tea is simply a pot of boiling water away. And you cannot deny that the wonderful taste and delicious aroma have a soothing affect on one's soul." Iroh grinned and held the thermos to his chest.

Zuko just shook his head at his uncle. "Not to me they don't. Not everyone deals with their problems in the same way."

Iroh nodded sagely. "You are right and wise for your age, Zuko. Maybe someday you will find what you are looking for. But until then, could a cup of tea really hurt?"

"It'll stain my teeth," Zuko grumbled. But nevertheless, he reached for his uncle's thermos and poured some darkened liquid into a plastic cup. He took a small sip. "I guess it's not that bad," he admitted. "Not as good as yours, though."

Iroh smiled in contentment before deciding to breach a delicate subject. "I like to think I know you, Nephew; maybe even better than you think. And I am getting the feeling that there is more to our excursion than you are letting on." He leaned forward, gaging the younger's reaction. Zuko just frowned and turned his head away. "This isn't about Zhao, is it?" When Zuko didn't respond, Iroh said, "Don't let what that man said affect you. I'm sure nothing will change the way your family feels for you."

"You're right, Uncle," Zuko said softly. "They all hate me. All of them except you." He glanced at his elder through a scarred eye. "But I have no doubt in my mind that once I prove myself, my father will welcome me back with open arms."

"Zuko," Iroh said carefully. "You do not need to prove yourself. What your father did was a horrible act of vengeance, and he is a terrible person for doing it. Even now, looking back, I can hardly imagine that he is my brother." The old man looked down in shame. "But do not let what others think of you get in the way of your life."

The teen traced his fingers through the thick carpet of grass beneath him. "When I was young, I wanted the love of my father more than anything… So much so that I was willing to ignore the attention I was already getting—from you and from my mother. But now… I'm not sure what I want, Uncle." He paused. "My destiny, I suppose. It seems like that's all I have left." Zuko looked off into the distance, his eyes were determined and filled with a melancholy sort of frustration.

Iroh nodded. "And… you think that chasing this boy will somehow give it to you?" Zuko looked up, and for a moment, he almost seemed upset and ashamed of himself. But then the teen's emotions slid under that porcelain mask Iroh knew so well.

"I want my destiny," Zuko repeated mechanically.

"You know, Zuko, destiny is a funny thing—you never know where you're going to end up. But if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise, you will make your own destiny someday."

The scarred boy just took another sip of his tea. And secretly, he hoped his uncle was right.

**

* * *

**

**Post Author's Notes: **OK, sorry for my hiatus! But with school quickly approaching and only a few select days set aside to write, I'm afraid chapters will be coming slower and slower. I apologize to everyone who is affected by this.

Um, OK. I would also like to say that although I did not have enough room for the **beach volleyball** thing, I thought it was a great idea, so I'll probably be adding that in later chapters. A lot of **Sukka** here, definitely the development of **Kataang**, and even some **Aang/Koko love**! :D So tell me, loved it? Hated it? Got a **suggestion**? **Question**, **comment**, or **concern**? **Plot ideas** are, of course, accepted, and I will do my best to incorporate them into the story, as long as it doesn't get in the way of my overall plan for this fic. Now that you've read, I'd be grateful if you **reviewed**! :D


	5. Best Friends and Gravity

**Disclaimer:** Yo. Do YOU own _Avatar_? …Uh-huh, didn't think so. Since we're all on the same playing field here, that means I don't, either.

**Author's Notes:** THESE PEOPLE ARE AWESOME: TTAvatarfan, anon, ViolotQ, …, Katsumara, ViolotQ, Kiminator Mark XII, KittenDC, AvatarAiris, ViolotQ, and ViolotQ! :D So because you reviewed, your names are now posted in the beginning of Chapter 5! W00t!

**Belated thanks** to Kiminator Mark XII, tophrocker, and tophrocker again for reviewing chapter 1.

**Belated thanks also** to Kiminator Mark XII and tophrocker for reviewing chapter 2.

**And even more belated thanks** to Kiminator Mark XII and AvatarAiris for reviewing chapter 3. Welcome to the party, you guys! It's always great to see new people. :D

You guys can thank **ViolotQ** once again for sending me multiple reviews until I finally finished this stupid chapter. I know—even _with_ school, I still have no excuse. But my free days to write are Wednesdays and the weekend after school, so… you do the math. :P

* * *

**Out the Window**

* * *

_I know we've been friends forever_

_But now I think I'm feeling something totally new_

_And after all this time, I've opened up my eyes, now I see_

_You were always with me_

-"Coud It Be" by Christy Carlson Romano

* * *

Azula Sozin was a very privileged teenager. She had everything a girl of her age and status could ever require—a popular group posse, a cell phone, designer clothes, two close friends, and an expensive car. On top of that, her stupid brother had been kicked out of the house to live with her Uncle Iroh, and Azula was most certain that neither of them were coming back any time soon.

She stood in front of her vanity, examining herself in the mirror. Perfect body, perfect lips, perfect hair and style and _everything_. Perfect, perfect, perfect—that's what she was. And that's what her idiot brother Zuko wasn't. That's why Azula was still living with Daddy, and Zu-Zu was stuck living in a car with Iroh. Azula puckered her red lips before frowning and wiping a stray brown hair out of her face. There. Now anyone could see her lovely golden eyes without getting distracted. Her lashes were rather short, but nothing a little eyeliner and mascara couldn't fix.

The fifteen-year-old glided down one of the double stairwells in her father's house before making her way across the marble entryway. Azula's heels clicked with a sharp sort of precision; it suited her well. "Daddy?" she called, pulling her cell from the handbag sitting on the counter. The granite was cold underneath her fingertips as she tapped against the stone angrily. "Father!"

But the large house was empty, and her voice echoed through the kitchen. Angry, Azula narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips before stalking out the door. Daddy Dearest was probably on another campaign mission—she had to admit, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

And if Ozai wasn't home, then there was no one to give Azula whatever she wanted.

The girl popped the keys into the ignition of her Mercedes and began driving down the winding, tree-lined driveway towards Mai and Ty Lee's houses. Her friends' parents were also rich and important politicians, which was very convenient considering the girls (and Zuko) practically grew up together. It was also nice to live in the same chauncey neighborhood as her two closest companions and right-hand people when it came to social status.

Azula called the speed dial. After several rings, a cheery voice spoke on the other end. "Hello?"

"Ty Lee, it's Azula," the girl said into the speaker. "I'm rather bored, and Daddy is out again. What do you say you and Mai meet up with me somewhere, and we can have some fun."

"Ooh, that sounds great, Azula!" the bubbly teen said energetically. "I love having fun! What do you have in mind?"

"Just pick up Mai and meet me at the Cáche outlet in the mall. Oh, and leave your car somewhere it won't get stolen—we'll be taking the Mercedes." Azula hung up before Ty Lee had a chance to respond.

--

Katara Kuruk rolled over in her sleep, clutching the blanket beneath her more tightly. She groaned when a loud mewling interrupted her, and four padded paws started kneading her back. "Not now, Momo," she grumbled. "'S too early… back to sleep."

The kitty meowed again, at first upset Katara had awoken him, but now mad that the girl was ignoring him. Momo got right up in her face before letting out a loud cry. Katara's eyes shot open. "MOMO! Eew, cat breath!" She coughed and fanned her nose, trying to ward off the smell of fish and old cat food. "Gross! …Next time, keep your morning breath to yourself," the teen scolded before sitting up. She stretched, reaching her hands far above her head before letting them drop down to her sides with a satisfied sigh.

Then she realized the spot next to her was empty. The dark-skinned girl felt something grip her stomach. "Aang… Aang!" She scooped the cat up in her arms before hopping off the roof of the truck. "Come on, Momo, we need to go find him before he gets into trouble."

Momo's dark green eyes stared at her as he mewled softly. "Don't look at me like that!" she exclaimed. "And _no_, I am not overreacting." She paused. "Well, there's always a _possibility_ that Aang's in trouble. Or maybe he just needs my help."

The cat yawned. "Thank you for your concern, Momo; I'll be sure to tell Aang how much you love him." Katara rolled her blue eyes and jogged across the gravel driveway, heading towards the soccer fields at the top of the hill. If he wasn't there, then she would check the dirt paths in the woods, the shooting range, the archery range, the art room, the canoe rack, and all the cabins down by the lake, the mess hall—

It didn't take long for her to find him. After she had trudged through the grassy field, dodging the volleyball net and various other obstacles, Katara had made her way into the thin woods, easily following the wide dirt paths and avoiding patches of bushy poison ivy that sprung up here and there from the sides of the walkway. She nearly lost her footing down a particularly steep, gravelly walk, but the girl managed to save herself at the last moment.

Her friend Aang was sitting on a long, roofed platform that overlooked a sort of shallow ditch. This was the shooting range—during classes, targets would be set up at the bottom of the incline. One of Aang's bare feet was hanging over the ledge, and his arms were propped up against the railing, chin resting on his forearms. "What are you doing here?" Katara asked softly as she approached him.

"Thinking," he replied, "about last night. About my family and Gyatso. About everything, really."

Unconsciously, the fifteen-year-old fingered the intricate bracelet on her wrist. Katara really didn't know what to say, so she just sat down next to him and examined the various trees and sprigs shooting up healthfully from the summertime ground. Momo sprung from his perch on her shoulder to Aang's; the boy cracked a crooked grin. "Hey there, Momo," he greeted, scratching the feline underneath his chin. The animal began to purr before curling up around the back of his master's neck. Momo's tail flicked back and forth like a pendulum, swiping Katara with his soft fur a few times.

"Do you think things will ever go back to the way they were?"

Aang's question startled her so much that all Katara could do was stammer out an intelligent, "…What?"

This was all the answer he needed. The younger teen turned his stormy gray eyes back towards the trees in the distance before restating his question as a fact. "Things are going to be different from now on, aren't they."

The dark-skinned girl felt her heart sink. It was truly awful to see anyone forced to come to such a depressing conclusion about anything, especially her energetic and genuine friend Aang. So Katara licked her lips and sighed. "No. It won't." There was nothing more she could do than lend him the hard truth and let him deal with it.

Even though Aang seemed to be staring at the trees, his eyes were glazed and his expression belied that he was waist-deep in his memories. "I'll never be able to see them again… my mom and dad, or Gyatso. My old school teachers… or that grumpy old man in the apartment across the hall from us." He gave an airy, whimsical chuckle, but it sounded hollow to Katara's ears.

"But, on the bright side, you found us. Aang, when we went to see Estes Park, we weren't kidding—Sokka and I can be your family now." She turned her bright blue eyes on his profile. "To be honest, I'm not really sure why I followed you, but I do know that it was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I'm not telling you to let Gyatso or the others go… God only knows how hard that must be for you… but I am asking you to give us a chance."

She saw a small but original smile creep across his face as he turned to her. "You don't need to ask," Aang said, a glint of the old playfulness returning to his eyes. "You had a chance all along."

The dark teenager gave her friend a quick hug before standing up and stretching. Looking towards him, she asked, "How does this happen? Every time we're alone together, we end up having a depressing conversation."

Her thirteen-year-old companion just grinned largely. "I know something that might cheer you up…" Aang shot to his feet as Momo started, digging his sharp claws into the boy's clothing. He mewled while Aang continued, "…Let's go bug Sokka!"

--

Sokka Kuruk hated mornings.

…Need he say much else?…

The bed, which was so comforting and soft at night, cruelly turned against him and occasionally liked to dump his body onto the cold, hard ground—just for kicks. The sun was too bright, his coffee was always too hot, the pancakes were too smooshy, and the bacon too limp. And, in the mornings, his head had always managed to position itself at _just_ the right angle so he would wake up with drool on his cheek and one heck of a neck cramp.

The dark-skinned teen let out a long, low, antagonizing moan into the comforter of the bed—at least when he fell off, he had managed to drag something else down with him. The sunlight shone brightly in his eyes as he attempted to blink them open—

Dangit.

Did Sokka mention that nasty, crusty goo that somehow managed to completely glue his eyes shut every morning?

…Hmm. Yeah. Must've slipped his mind.

Sokka furiously ground his eyes with the palm of his hand, trying to scrape away that pesky goo. When he finally opened his cerulean eyes and attempted to stand up, the bright morning light filtering through the room completely caught him off-guard. The boy's legs tangled up in the comforter around him as he flailed around, nearly blinded.

Mung was studiously poring over the day's newspaper around 11:30-ish when he heard a loud THUMP and an "Ow!" from upstairs. Startled, he straightened up before remembering his guest of the night before. Poor guy was probably just having a bad day—

_K-thump._ "Holy man…!" There was a distinctive slipping noise, then a _slam_, _ thunk-thunk_. CRACK. The old man simply shook his head and continued reading, trying to ignore the explicit curses he could hear coming from the stairwell—

—which were something along the lines of, "What the -- … Why does this -- -- keep -- happening to me on -- every -- … Mother --! Not -- fair! Why don't I -- try -- slamming into _you_ every other step, and then I'll -- see how you -- like it! …"

When Sokka finally managed to drag himself down the stairs, he stood before his host looking quite disheveled… in an extremely amusing sort of way. Mung snorted behind his hand. "Uh… coffee?" he offered.

The teen's glazed blue eyes were narrowed half in irritation at the stairs and half in just general annoyance of the morning; while his clothes from the day before were wrinkled and going every which way, one sock off while his shirt was hiked high above his ribcage. His general expression said something like, "Touch me and I'll kill you."

"Not much of a morning person, eh?"

Something akin to a growl erupted from the dark boy's throat when Mung couldn't keep his chuckle down any longer. But, trying to maintain some semblance of civility, Sokka sat down at the rough-hewn table and gratefully accepted the coffee that was thrust towards him.

Hmm. It actually wasn't too hot today.

The way the warm drink slid down his throat and settled warmly and comfortably in his stomach reminded him of the night before, and how the amiable man had been so kind to him. A little bit of Sokka's animosity slipped away as he sipped at the caffeine-injected drink.

Mung popped his gray head out of the kitchen doorway. "Pancakes?"

The teen could only nod in acceptance.

--

Zuko Sozin groaned. _Thump._ "Owww…" His forehead was now connected to a tree.

Stupid tree.

He didn't know how long they had been here, but they needed to _get-freaking-going already_. He was tired because they hadn't been able to get the car to start last night, so the two of them were forced to sleep on the ground. And how he was being Emo—his back hurt, his eyes itched, and he certainly didn't want to get behind the wheel of a large and potentially dangerous vehicle—mainly because it gave him the ability to put other semi-innocent pedestrians into a life-threatening situation. And, of course, _he_ would be responsible.

"Uu-uncle…" he whined, "it's your turn to drive."

Iroh's gray head popped out from around the SUV. "Stop whining and get in. We've got a long way to travel today," the old man replied cheerfully. It was all Zuko could do to drag himself up the grassy slope and melt into a pile of pudding all over the passenger seat. As soon as the teen's head hit the headrest, he was out like a light.

The next time the pyro regained consciousness, he, his uncle, and his beloved truck were chugging along the highway at a reasonable pace. Iroh was whistling a random tune as his nephew fought the sleep and the morning sunshine out of his golden eyes. When Zuko spoke, his voice was scratchy and grating. "How did you get the car to start, Uncle?"

The older man stopped whistling for a moment to answer. "A very nice woman drove by and jump-started the battery for us. Wasn't that nice of her?"

The scarred teen grunted and turned his attention toward watching the trees sail by.

Soon enough, Iroh turned off onto a steep gravel drive with a mossy embankment leading down towards a lake. Zuko wondered briefly why they had turned off the main road, but he decided not to question his uncle's motives and returned to staring at the scenery. The onyx-colored SUV picked its way down the inclined road with about as much caution and foreplanning as a huge, thousand-pound monster of its size could muster. Unfortunately, because of its seemingly poor condition and overly large size, the truck began to dip slightly to the right…

"Uncle!" Zuko started, suddenly shooting wide awake. "Don't do that…"

"We're fine, Nephew," his elder assured, but the teenager could sense the apprehension in his voice.

Zuko growled, "Don't lie to me, Uncle…" He gripped the armrest as the truck creaked loudly, tipping more and more towards the far side of the road. The young man swore he could hear the gravel popping underneath the tires as their front wheels slipped across the ground.

"STEP ON IT!" Zuko wasn't particularly sure which one of them yelled the phrase, but whoever did sprang Iroh into action. He slammed his foot down on the gas pedal as the engine made a horrible whirring noise and little rocks flew out behind them.

And then their tires hit a tree root. And suddenly, the two of them were shouting at the top of their lungs as their SUV barreled down the mossy incline straight towards the lake. Zuko's eyes were wide open, and he could literally feel his face pulling at the scarred tissue over his bad eye. Rocks and bumps had the teenager and his uncle flying all over the cabin; they were hardly able to get their bearings for even a few moments at a time.

Amidst all the chaos, one thought rang through Zuko's head: _We need to get out of here._ His thin, pale fingers scrabbled for the door before finally latching on and swinging the door open. He screamed at Iroh before they both swung wide, grappling on the swinging doors, feet kicking up rocks and bellies scraping painfully against the flying dirt. They let go…

…Just in time to watch Zuko's truck, his black baby, fly out over the small embankment and land in the lake with a _squelch_ and a _splash_. The young man could only watch, open-mouthed, as their only mode of transportation began to quickly fill with water and sink beneath the murky surface of its depths. His body shaking with anger and horrified frustration, gold met gold as he matched his uncle's gaze when they turned to face each other.

Even an optimist like Iroh couldn't help but know this was a bad thing. No way to go around _that_ one. "Well…" one of them began, "…this sorta sucks."

Zuko couldn't help but laugh dryly. OH THE IRONY OF IT ALL. The Universe must hate him. "No, no, that's OK." He waved a pale hand, still laughing at the horrible un-believability of it all. "It was a stupid, unfixable machine anyway."

Iroh shrunk away. His nephew probably needed some space right now.

--

Time flew by for Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Life at Kyoshi Island Summer Camp was fun and easy, if not a little bit hot around midday. But there were water games and various skiing activities that could keep them busy during the scorching noontimes, while the nights were often dictated with roaring campfires, whispered secrets, and sleeping beneath the stars.

A pleasantly warm sun met the lithe bodies of eight volleyball players, the sweat streaking down their figures and into their faces. The girls were involved in an intense game of beach volleyball while the campers were with the lifeguard, either swimming or tubing. Suki took a moment to swipe a sweaty strand of reddish hair out of her eyes; her team was losing, but only barely. If she could come up with the right strategy and get the perfect set-and-spike, then they could win the match. The sixteen-year-old dug her toes into the sand and set her stance, ready as the other team served up the ball.

Sokka came, dressed in a pair of brown swim trunks with white and blue trim, and sat down on the short metal bleachers. He flipped off his sandals and pulled the shirt over his head, making sure at least a few of the girls were watching out of the corner of their eyes. The teen smirked when he saw small pink tinges alight across their cheeks. Sokka rested his back against the scorching hot metal and proceeded to sunbathe himself to a nice golden tan.

Half an hour of intense gaming had barely left the girls with labored breaths. But unfortunately, a few minutes ago a girl on Suki's team had twisted her ankle and was out of the game. Suki frowned but decided to play with the three remaining players she had. However, a particularly forward Hispanic girl on the other team named Zita spoke up towards Sokka. "Hey you," she said playfully, "I think Suki's team needs one more person. Why don't you go help out?"

The dark-skinned teen grinned but didn't move. "Thanks but no thanks," he shot back just as amiably. "I'm workin' on my tan."

Suki's team erupted into whines of protest; they had all been thinking the same thing but didn't want to speak up about Sokka before their leader. Now that Zita had put it on the table, the other girls were agreeing wholeheartedly. Suki's mouth tugged upwards in a smile. "Fine. Come play. But don't think that this will be as easy as basketball, you big shot."

Sokka flipped her a grin. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

--

The game was long and hot, but satisfying. After Sokka joined in, the girls had amped up the playing a little bit, and it wasn't long before they were all sweating and panting—but laughing, too, at Sokka's crazy antics. Suki would roll her eyes but laugh along, even though she knew that, half the time, he was just being goofy to get the girls' attention.

Too bad for Suki it actually worked.

(Not that she was jealous or anything. Psshht. No way. Why would she be jealous of her best friends?)

The blue-eyed girl squirted some orange Gatorade into her mouth before high-fiving each of her opponents. She approached Sokka from behind and poked him in the back. "Good game," she said as he turned to her.

He flashed a toothy grin before pulling the shirt over his head. "Thanks. You too."

Suki sifted the sand through her toes. "I guess I underestimated you," she began quietly. "I'm… sorry, I suppose. For… for being a jerk and stuff." She nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks for playing volleyball with us, though."

Sokka looked like he was seriously considering her words. "You're welcome," he replied with a proper amount of genuineness. "Thank you for giving me a second chance."

Suki laughed. "Hey. We're all jerks at one point or another, so it's my belief that everyone deserves a second chance. … Well, at least it is now."

The dark teen gave a lopsided grin, not really sure what else to say. But before he knew it, Suki was leaning in and had planted a quick kiss on his cheek. His mouth dropped open in surprise as he rubbed the magic spot on his face.

"See ya around… jerk," the paler girl giggled before trotting away. Sokka could only stare as his dysfunctional brain attempted to reboot. _She's…_ _still some girl._

_Some **hot** girl._

--

Aang Shenyang and his best friend Katara were lazing about the fire pit, occasionally flicking at a stray horsefly. Aang had gotten stung by a hornet earlier that day, and Katara had immediately taken to attending to his every whim.

Unfortunately, so did Aang's fan club. Over the course of the week, Koko had managed to seek him out almost every day without fail, even when he tried to avoid her. She had always found him, and he didn't know how. So when he got stung, it was obvious his club would have found out.

When the girls had rushed over to him, awwing and crying and poking, Katara had stalked off in a fit of jealous anger. Aang was too busy noticing Koko to pay attention to his dark friend, but as soon as her shoes crunched across the gravel away from him, he sure noticed then. Panicking, he pulled away from Koko and followed after Katara.

She was on the dock again a few feet away, moping. She had been cold and non responsive when he tried to talk to her about "whatever was bugging her," so Aang decided to start playing around. He made a hurt face and told Katara that his arm was stinging really bad, and would she please kiss it better for him? For a moment, the girl didn't respond. But then, with a smile slowly spreading across her face, she got up (grinning beautifully) and kissed it for him.

…Dang.

She… actually… kissed it for him.

Aang hadn't expected that to work. But it did. And he certainly wasn't complaining.

It was after this little incident that found the two of them simply lying around the lower level of the amphitheater near the campfire pit, sleeping and talking and just being… teenagers. Finally, after a while, the subject of travel was brought up.

"I think we ought to leave soon," Aang said, grabbing his beanie and pulling it tight over his nose.

"Why?" Katara asked lazily. "It's so nice here."

"I know. But there are other places to be besides here, too. We could go to Cali, or New York City, the Midwest, maybe The Big D or The Windy City, whichever you prefer—"

Katara flipped onto her stomach, flicking her flowing sleeves absent-mindedly. "I guess so. And it would be nice to see some other places for once," she admitted. "You can only live in Colorado for so long."

Aang grinned at her. "So where to next, m'lady?" Katara just giggled.

--

"I can't believe this," the young Kuruk boy sighed. "We're leaving already." His sister poked her dark head above the truck bed and gave him a look.

"I think it's time we moved on," she explained. "Aang agrees with me." Sokka turned to his friend, only to see the younger boy slink away into the bushes. He did _not_ want to get involved. Sokka couldn't help but laugh at Katara's incredulous expression. She just grumbled and flipped something back about his face before curling up on a corner of the mattress.

Suki came up behind him. "Where you guys headed?" she asked curiously.

Sokka shrugged. "Dunno. East, probably. Colorado's about as west as it gets, besides California, and Katara's always wanted to see New York City."

Suki whistled. "New York's a big city. You gonna head through Chicago first?"

"Probably. And hey, who knows who we might find there." He stuck out his tongue impishly.

She smacked his arm. "Don't do that! You're bound to get it bitten off one of these days."

The boy chuckled loudly. "That sounds so wrong…"

_Smack_. "You perv." But the grin stretched all across her face. "Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"

"Huh?"

Suki almost laughed at his vacant expression. "Do you think we'll ever see each other again? You know… will our paths ever cross once more, or something else corny like that."

Sokka pursed his lips. "I honestly don't know," he replied. "But I hope so. Head to New York, 'cause that's where we're going."

The girl looked at the ground. "Sure," she started slowly, "if I can ever get outta here." But, suddenly grinning, she pulled her gaze up to meet his. Suki pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and began scribbling on it. "But just in case I can't, here's my number."

Sokka took the sacred paper and religiously folded it before placing it carefully in his wallet. "I will keep it with me always," he joked.

"You better," she shot back. She was met with a sincere smile before they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Katara, sitting a short distance away in Appa, looked up curiously as Aang fought his way back through the bushes onto the pavement. She laughed as her friend began picking leaves and brambles from his clothes. They couldn't hear the two younger kids' conversation.

Suki couldn't help but feel a little sadness creep into her heart. Yes, Sokka was annoying, and yes, he bugged the crap outta her, but there was just something about him that she couldn't shake off. He was funny and genuine, if not a little bit full of himself (only occasionally, though). She felt a sudden urge to give him a proper goodbye.

Sokka started as the sixteen-year-old counselor pulled him into a hug. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll actually miss you, Sokka."

The teen patted her back. "I'll miss you too, girly."

They both pulled back and Suki couldn't help but notice that smug grin tugging at his lips. "What's up with you?" she asked playfully, still holding on to his forearms.

"Nothing," he replied with a faux air of superiority.

Suki couldn't help but laugh as she felt her heart drop out from under her. Dang gravity. Stupid laws of physics.

Brown hair.

Blue eyes.

Lean muscles, tanned skin.

Once again, stupid laws of physics. Why was she falling so hard for this guy? 'Cause she wasn't so sure if she liked it… or not…

Suki licked her lips and Sokka leaned towards her in response. Oh…

OH. So _that's_ what he thought she wanted. Well, she certainly didn't. You know, Suki guessed a kiss would be nice, but not from him. Maybe some other guy. Like Michael Phelps… or Brad Pitt… or heck, even Edward Cullen… even though she was more of a Jacob fan… Oh.

Sokka touched his dark lips to hers for only an instant—but nevertheless, she felt a surge of heat and icy coolness, a shaking in her knees, and a strange fiery tingling sensation right below her bellybutton—

Suki pulled back, not daring to look him in the eyes. Even though the kiss lasted for barely a second, it felt so much longer than that. She could literally sense all the emotions running through him, and she could taste them on his lips. The only thing that surprised her was that they were the exact same ones that she felt weighing her heart down every day of her life. She felt Sokka sigh and mumble an apology… That idiot. She laughed aloud.

He looked startled. "What?"

"You thought you did something wrong?" she giggled.

"Well… yes."

"No, you didn't… you didn't. You just—" She struggled for an explanation.

Sokka offered, "Made you feel funny?"

Her face flushed. "Yeah."

His lips pulled lightly across perfect teeth. "Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

Suki tilted her head back and kissed him this time—partially from fear of being alone, but another part was just pent-up hormones. She couldn't remember the last time she had a boyfriend, and it felt so good to have somebody else's lips against her own. She sighed as they pulled away for the second time. "I guess I'll see you later then, huh?"

Sokka nodded. "Hope so. I'll… see ya around. Or whatever." He shrugged and hopped into Appa's driver's seat. He waved at Suki and blew her a kiss as the small family of three left, their old truck climbing with surprising speed up the incline. She laughed outright and waved back, watching as her friends' silhouette disappeared over the hill.

--

"…so then I was all like, 'Your face is a mistake!' And the guy goes, 'No, not my face!' And he starts bawling his eyes out and totally runs away! How lame is that!" Sokka burst into hysterical laughter as Katara and Aang groaned for the thirtieth time.

"That was awful, Sokka," his sister told him. "Why would you even tell a guy something like that?"

The older sibling shrugged. "'Cause I was bored, he insulted me, and he looked gay." Aang just looked horrified.

"SOKKA!"

"Wha-at? It's the truth!" Katara just shook her head and sighed as she leaned back against the mattress.

"Some people," she muttered to Aang. The thirteen-year-old chuckled behind his hand as the girl smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks for being my friend, Katara," Aang said softly.

She groaned. "Aang, we've been over this. Friends, family—we are whatever you need us to be. We're here for you. Now let's try to stop being so serious all the time." Katara offered a small smile.

"OK," he conceded. "But we're still friends, right?"

She looked like he had grown a second head. "Duh."

"_Best _friends?"

Katara fingered the woven bracelet on her wrist. "Best friends."

Aang looked dead serious as he held out a pinky finger. "Swear to me."

The girl rolled her eyes but went along with it. "I promise—"

"You _swear_."

"—I _swear_ that we are, and will be, best friends forever." They shook on it, and Aang looked relieved when they pulled apart.

He rubbed the back of his neck, sweeping his hand up to weave thin fingers into the black hair under his hat. "I know I sounded kinda ridiculous, Katara," he said bashfully, "but thank you for promising. It means a lot."

Sokka coughed from the cabin, but his sister ignored it, smiling instead. "You're welcome." This time, Momo the cat took that moment to leap onto Aang's shoulders, purring and clawing his way around the boy. Katara cooed, "Are you looking for something, Momo?" The cat meowed. "Food?"

Aang's stomach growled, and Katara laughed heartily. "Food sounds great to me," he grinned. "Pull over, Sokka."

"For what?" the older boy grumbled.

Aang wrapped lithe fingers around the lip of the truck. "We need to take a break. Here, just head off this next exit towards Losantville."

"No way!" Sokka protested. "We've barely been driving three hours, and look! The sun has just set not twenty minutes ago. We don't need a break."

"Sokka," Katara sing-songed, "we need to stop for something important—"

"Food!" Aang exclaimed.

Silence.

"Spirits, I'm gonna miss the exit!" Katara and Aang screamed as their seemingly-legal driver jerked the wheel hard to the right to catch the exit Aang had told him about. They jostled down the ramp as the truck juggled their bodies around before they came to a screeching halt in front of a Hardee's. Sokka turned around in his seat to catch the death glares sent at him from two very disgruntled passengers. "Food? Well, why didn't you just say so?"

Katara facepalmed while Aang chuckled good-naturedly. "Nice one, Sokka."

The elder gave a stupid grin before throwing the truck back into drive and heading towards the drive-through. "OK, you guys, what do you feel like today?"

Katara yawned. "Coffee, definitely. I'm gonna need it if I plan on staying awake tonight."

Sokka began shouting and pointing when he pulled up to the menu. "Ooh, look at that one! Breakfast is good any time of the day, so maybe one of those egg and cheese biscuit things… But no, that has no meat on it…"

Aang put a finger to his lips. "I'll eat almost anything," he finally decided.

"Look, you guys!" Sokka shouted. "They have hash browns here!"

"Oh my gosh I love hash browns!"

"Dude, get me somma that!"

So the dark-skinned teen pulled up to the microphone and placed their order, counting off the things on his fingers as they went. The nasally voice on the other end sounded disturbed and a bit disgruntled, probably wondering how one vehicle could order so much freaking food at one time. When the teens pulled up to the first window, and the Hardee's employee rattled off the price of the order, Aang and Katara's mouths dropped open. But Sokka didn't even bat an eye as he pulled out his wallet and handed the clerk exact change for their order. He eagerly grabbed the bags of food from the second window when they were done and pulled off to the side of the road, throwing the ancient vehicle into park.

"Scootch over," he muttered as he landed with a plop between Katara and Aang. "I've got food." It was a little hard to see in the dark, considering the sun had already set, but the lights of the small town of Losantville gave off a bright enough light that they could see almost anything.

Sokka pulled out eight chicken biscuits, tossing two at Katara and two at Aang, saving the rest for himself. He then proceeded to distribute hash browns and ketchup packets. "One package of ketchup for each hash brown," the teen sniffed.

"But Sokka," Aang argued, "they gave us like, fifty packs of ketchup! Can't I have another one?"

"No! We're saving these extras in case we ever need them later!"

"But why can't we just use them now?"

Katara just snatched a cup of coffee from her brother's hand. "Mine," she growled. The boys continued to argue for a while, but eventually, they became more hungry than angry and settled down to eat their food. Aang grimaced as he pulled the chicken patty off of the biscuit.

"Why can't they just have eggs and cheese and leave it at that?"

"I'll take your meat," Sokka offered. "Even if it _is_ chicken and not beef." He glared at Katara, who began whistling innocently.

Aang thought for a moment. "All right. But you gotta give me something in return." He eyed Sokka's untouched hash browns.

The blue-eyed teen frowned. "Fine," he conceded, handing Aang his two hash browns. "Now hand 'em over."

The younger boy gleefully took the hash browns and plopped the patties down in Sokka's outstretched hand. Sokka gulped them down in three bites.

"Wow," Aang said around mouthfuls of fried potato, "that was actually kinda impressive." Katara just dunked her chicken biscuit in ketchup and took another bite.

"Disgusting, if you ask me," she muttered.

Aang and Sokka laughed. "Relax, Katara."

"Yeah sis, seriously. Chillax. It's all good." Sokka, not surprisingly, was an extremely fast eater, so instead of sticking around to watch his friends continue to pig out, he dug around in his bag for his iPod before popping his earbuds in. He turned the volume up as "Canadian Idiot" and "Those Nights" began blasting through his ears. The kids decided to stay in Losantville for the night, where they eventually fell asleep to the sound of cicadas and Weird Al wafting through the air.

* * *

I support our troops. And if you don't stand behind them, feel free to stand in front of them. In honor of 9/11 and our Towers.

**Post Author's Notes:** OK, so here's a list of everyone who **has been suggested**: **Toph**, **Combustion Man**, **Teo**, **Haru**, **The Duke**, and **Piandao**. Please tell me if I'm missing anyone. :P

All right, definite Sukka here… obviously… and for you avid Tokkaneers, I suggest sticking around. I have a feeling Toph's bound to show up sooner or later… COUGH COUGH. …Um, I was hoping to have more **Iroh/Zuko time**, but that obviously didn't happen. But beach volleyball sure did! :D Thanks for coming, thanks for reading, and please **review!**


	6. Bumi's Karaoke Bar

**Disclaimer:** No tengo la serie de televisión _Avatar: La Leyenda de Aang_. Mike y Bryan la compraron antes hice. Ahora tengo triste. )':

SUPER BONUS POINTS IF YOU CAN SPEAK SPANISH!! (No, seriously.)

**Author's Notes:** I would like to send a shoutout to A. LaRosa, Peace. Joy .Love, Rawr Power, Fatal1ty, ViolotQ (as usual), tophrocker, TTAvatarfan, Katsumara, timeisnotmyname, Kiminator Mark XII, AvatarAiris, and vine, just because y'all _**reviewed!**_

**Another belated thanks** has to go to timisnotmyname, not only for reviewing but also for telling me KATAANG. That's it. (;

OK, guys, so I was inspired by… jeez, guess who? And decided to start this extra early so I could get it done extra early! :D Haha, look how wonderfully that worked out… I realize I've been stupid with updating, but hey now; I warned ya that schooltime was gonna be hectic. I do have a GPA to uphold, you know… :P

(Yes, I know that's no excuse. Just shush.)

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**Out the Window**

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Coming together is a beginning,

_Staying together is progress,_

_But working together is success._

-Henry Ford

* * *

"…_Stealin' sideway kisses and singin' songs,_

"_Crossin' county lines and drivin' all night long._

"_He opened up her hand, gave her a bubble gum ring,_

"_And said, 'I know that this ain't much, but will you please m'_—"

"Will you _please_ SHUT UP!" Sokka roared from behind the steering wheel. He shot a withering glare at Katara, who was sitting in the passenger seat with a look on her face that could only be described as murderous. The elder boy turned away before rubbing his sleep-laden eyes and hunching down in his seat, grumbling all the way.

"Just because you didn't get enough sleep last night doesn't mean you get to be such a grumble-butt," the younger girl sniped.

Sokka muttered some colorful phrases. "It's seven o'clock in the friggin' morning, Katara; I am not in the mood for either your songs or your snobby 'tude." At this, the teen sat up straight and flicked his wrist in a dismissing manner—to be honest, it was a pretty good impression of Katara. The girl wanted to smack her brother but, thankfully, didn't and resigned herself to stroking her fingers through the disgruntled fur of one Momo the cat. He purred in happy acceptance.

"Uh, guys?" Aang called up from the very back. "There's actually this great place I have in mind, and I really wanna go there. Grampa Gyatso was really good friends with the owner of the place, and I can't think of a better restaurant to be at!" The young teen was nearly bouncing with excitement at the end of this statement.

Katara frowned and pulled a map out from between the seats. She retraced the small line Sokka had made in pencil before resting her finger on a point marked with a circle (obviously Aang's lovely handiwork). "I don't know, Aang, it's kinda out of the way…"

Aang burst earnestly, "But that's the whole point of a road trip! Seeing places you'd never seen before, visiting really awesome restaurants and attractions and all that good stuff."

Sokka tipped his eyebrows in Katara's direction. "He's got you there, chica," he said somewhat mellowly. "So what's this place called, Aang? And where is it, exactly?"

"Well, it's in western Montana, and it just so happens to be this little place called Bumi's Karaoke Bar…"

--

_Crunch. Crunch crunch._

Zuko's right eye twitched.

_Crunch crunch crunch-crunch SMACK. SMACK SMACK. Crunch._

Finally, the teen had had enough. "UNCLE! _Why_ do you feel the need to eat so loudly? Couldn't you have picked something a little quieter like, say… I dunno, CAP'N CRUNCH."

The elder grinned, showing off perfectly white teeth despite the unhealthy amount of tea he drank. "Because," Iroh explained, shaking the small box of cereal in Zuko's face, "Cap'n Crunch doesn't have near as much fiber as Grape Nuts. Look at the box! It says so on the side."

Zuko sighed but reluctantly began reading the nutrition information for Grape Nuts. "Let's see… sugar, iron, vitamin B, carbs—good Lord. That is a lot of fiber." The seventeen-year-old squinted his good eye to get a better view, as if unsure whether or not to believe the printing in front of him. "That's almost unhealthy," the dark-haired boy added warily.

His elder counterpart simply shrugged and grinned. "Old men like me could always use more fiber."

The golden-eyed pyro resisted the urge to roll his eyes in irritation. Instead, he settled for a harrumph and folded pale arms across his chest.

_CRUNCH._

"Uncle!"

--

"OK, let's see… we've got all the basics now," Iroh said, scribbling a check mark here and there on his grocery list. It was really just a crumpled receipt with one too many ink splotches on it. "And I think we've got some extra time to go get that book you've been asking for—what was it again, something about vampires?" The old man elbowed Zuko jovially in the ribs.

His counterpart narrowed his eyes ferally. "No," Zuko denied, "those stupid books are for hormonal, boy-obsessed fangirls between the ages of 12 and 18. I will _not_ stoop to their level."

A smirk nearly bordering on snarky crossed over the old man's face. "OK," Iroh conceded. "I'm going to the checkout line. Call me when you're done _not_ 'stooping to their level.'" He chortled and quickly stepped out of Zuko's range before the boy could punch him.

The pale teen pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before deciding it just wasn't worth it. But dang, if those girls found out he read those books… he'd never hear the end of it. Stealthily, Zuko popped his dark head above the aisle and noticed the amount of teenage girls standing around—not many. Well, it must be his lucky day. Nevertheless, he didn't want to take any chances; so instead he strolled lazily towards the cologne section.

Cologne was manly, right?

Slim fingers picked up a spray bottle of Axe. He sniffed it. God, the stuff smelled awful. How could anyone wear this junk? Zuko's nose crunched up, and the skin around his bad eye crinkled in that funny way. It was so strong… he turned to examine himself in the metal pole at the end of the aisle, pulling up his nose to examine it. He was sure it must've singed his nose hairs off…

He flipped up the canister of Axe to hold it by the lid— Shoot. …Big mistake.

The lid slipped off and the can fell to the floor, and by some curse of the gods, landed directly on the nozzle. Now the aerosol can of cologne was a rocket shooting across the aisle as Axe literally exploded from the tiny opening. Zuko screamed… er, yelled in a very manly way and scrambled to escape. He did _not_ want that crap all over him for the rest of the day…

He rushed into the aisle and nearly plowed over a greasy, overweight employee. The man frowned and pushed rounded glasses over his hawk nose. "What can I do for you?" he muttered in a nasally voice. Zuko rapidly flailed his arms up and down before giving up and running off. The teen met up with Uncle at the checkout line a few moments later, resting his hands in his pockets and looking as ignorantly nonchalant and totally uncaring as physically possible—which wasn't really hard for a guy like him.

"Oh… there you are, Zuko. I saw that book on the way out and picked it up for you, just in case."

Zuko sniffed. "Oh… whatever. Thanks, though… I guess."

Iroh whistled merrily as he pushed the nearly full cart out into the parking lot. Suddenly, he stopped and sniffed. "Do you smell…Axe?"

"Um… no. Not at all. Uh, that's ridiculous… probably just your imagination." The younger coughed.

Iroh scanned him over through the corner of his eye. "You know," he drawled after a somewhat uncomfortable silence, "I met a boy the other day, about your age. Said his name was Jet."

Zuko glanced at him quickly before turning away. "So?"

Uncle shrugged. "So nothing. But maybe you should try making some friends around here for once."

"We won't be staying for long, so why bother? Besides, I'd rather not."

Gold met gold for a moment before Iroh asked, "Why?"

Zuko let his shaggy hair fall before his eyes, shielding him from his guardian. "Let's just say we've met before, and we're not exactly the best of friends."

--

Not surprisingly, Bumi's Karaoke Bar was loud and obnoxious, teeming with youthful life and clustered with tables that seemed much too close together. Also not surprisingly, half of the people who got up to sing karaoke sucked. Really, really sucked. But the food was decent and the prices manageable, so the trio decided to stay.

What was surprising, however, was that Bumi's Karaoke Bar wasn't really a bar at all. It only sold non-alcoholic drinks, which was a good thing considering how much more those sucky people would suck if they were actually drunk. Thus, it was a family-friendly place, and Aang, Katara, and Sokka spotted many teens their age and older just hanging out and having fun, drinking virgin strawberry daiquiris or pitifully teasing the poor sap who decided to try his hand at singing karaoke in front of a live audience.

They chose a table against the wall so they could have a better view of the whole place. "I'm going to go see if I can find Bumi," Aang told the siblings in a rare moment of no singing. "I'll be in the back, but just wait for me here, OK?" The two nodded, and their hyperactive friend was out of sight in a flash.

Sokka whistled and took a swig of his chocolate smoothie. "He never ceases to amaze me," the teen muttered.

Katara gazed after her friend, even though he was obviously long gone by now. "He is pretty amazing," she admitted.

He eyed her. "What I meant was that I don't understand him."

"Oh." Quickly, the girl shoveled a forkful of Mexican rice into her mouth. "That's just you, though. He's really not that complicated."

Her brother snorted. "Easy for you to say." He picked up a rib and started biting the meat off, licking his fingers when the barbecue sauce got too out of hand. "So anyways… I thought this place was gonna suck, but now that we're here, it's not so bad." Sokka beamed. "The prices are decent, and I've never tasted ribs quite like this before. I guess Aang really knows what he's talking about, hmm?"

"Yep." Katara took a cheesy bite of burrito.

"How do you think he and Gyatso got to know Bumi?" Katara was distracted by a splotch of barbecue sauce right in the corner of his mouth.

"Um, Sokka… you've got a little shmutz right _here_…" She tapped her lip. He looked confused. "No, on your lip, stupid!" Sokka tried to lick it off, but his tongue wasn't long enough. She sighed. "Here, let me get it…" She wetted her napkin with some water and wiped the offending splotch of sauce right off of his face.

He tried to bat her hand away. "Katara! God, that's lame… You're not my mom, for crying out loud—"

"Hey, can I help you?" One of the waiters in the bar sidled up to their table and ended the siblings' conversation. He had slightly darker skin (though not as dark as theirs) and emerald green eyes that seemed soft and kind. "My name is Haru."

Katara flushed. Sokka fumed. "Hi, Haru, I'm Katara," she greeted him. "This is my idiot brother Sokka." If looks could kill, Katara was a dead woman. "Sorry about all the fuss… we were just having a discussion."

Haru laughed lightly. "A little sibling rivalry, huh? Hey, it's cool; I know how it goes. I've got a little brother myself." They both nodded, seemingly appeased for the moment.

"So how did you start working here?" Sokka didn't seem as interested in biting the other guy's head off anymore, but he still didn't enjoy the thought of anyone trying to hit on his sister.

Haru straightened up and cleared their table of a few empty glasses, balancing them expertly on his serving tray. "My father's fighting in the army, and my mom can hardly live off of the money she's making from our corner store. I picked up this job to make a few extra bucks: just enough to pay the bills, buy food, all that stuff." He shrugged noncommittally, as if it were nothing, but Katara knew it was anything but.

"You miss your father, don't you?" She always had an amazing knack for reading people when they were hurting.

The older boy sighed, and his body sagged under an invisible weight. "Yeah… I do. It's just… I don't know where he is or how he's doing. He could be a captive for the enemy for all I know, and it's really…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, turning away for a moment.

Sokka closed his eyes. "It's really hard not knowing." He opened them again and met Haru's slightly shocked look head on. "Our father's in the navy; he's pretty high up, actually. So hey, it's cool; we know how it goes."

Katara laughed at Haru's funny face. "I'll definitely keep that in mind," he said before turning away. "You guys just let me know if you need anything else, OK?"

Katara shouted after him, "Hey! Don't forget what we talked about." Sokka rolled his eyes as her attention returned to her food. "He seems nice."

"Yeah," her brother grouched, "a little _too_ nice."

"Oh, for crying out loud…" She was about to snap back at him when her fork clattered to her plate. _Twang._ Her eyes widened in fear as Katara stared at something behind him.

Sokka felt his breath catch for a second. "…Katara…" Slowly, he turned to see what she was staring at.

And what they saw… words couldn't describe how terrified they were. That scarred kid Zuko and his psycho uncle had just waltzed right into the bar, and they were making their way toward Sokka and Katara's table.

Sokka cursed. "Let's ace this place," he muttered, tugging Katara out of her seat and heading to the back where their friend, Aang, had disappeared a few minutes earlier. "We need to get Aang and get out of here as quickly as possible; there's no telling how long it will take for Zuko to spot us in here."

The hallway backstage was dark and cramped; hardly large enough for two people to squeeze through. There were a few branching archways that probably led to bathrooms or the owner's private office. There was a larger room that led directly onstage; the only thing separating the two was a large black curtain. Aang was standing there, along with an old man who had to be at least 100 years old. He was bent over and wrinkly, and one of his bright green eyes lolled kind of weirdly to the side, like a lazy eye.

His jokes were horrible, but his laughter was contagious. Like an infectious disease or something.

Sokka whirled Aang around, catching the surprised look on his face. Katara said breathlessly, "Aang… Zuko's here, along with his uncle. They're looking for us, and we need to go."

"_Now_," the oldest teen reinforced.

The old man who must've been Bumi made a funny noise. "But Aang's just about to go on. In fact…" He pushed the boy through the curtain and laughed at the siblings' expressions. "What? The show must go on."

Sokka groaned and ground the heel of his palm against his forehead. Katara's eyes narrowed in determination. "I suppose it must," she muttered angrily. "Come on, there's no getting out of this one, Sokka." She grabbed her brother's wrist and pulled him through the curtain, throwing them both onstage and in front of a LIVE—and very sarcastic—audience. Aang was already at the front microphone, playing a keyboard that had been set up for people who could actually play.

When they came beside him, their young friend looked scared yet happy and engrossed in the song all at the same time.

Well, they needed to _do_ something; the brother and sister couldn't just stand around all day. Aang jerked his head to the side, indicating they pick up an instrument or a mic or ANYTHING besides just standing there. Quickly, Sokka scrambled to throw an electric guitar over his shoulder and began to play a few notes. Surprisingly, he didn't seem half bad.

However… Katara just bit her lip. She… she didn't know about this. She couldn't play any instruments, not like Aang and Sokka, and it's not like she could sing or anything…

There was only one mic left. Sokka was giving her a dirty look. _Get on with it._

But she had always wanted to sing, and she sang in the shower all the time. Surely that would count for something.

So she took a breath and picked up the microphone. And suddenly, the lyrics came on their own, each word bursting from her throat and prompting the audience to stand to their feet.

Absolutely amazing.

--

Haru could spot a troublemaker from a mile away; that's what happened when someone grew up living in the southern part of Omashu City. It was ingrained into his reflexes. Thus, when a seventeen-year-old scarred kid and his portly uncle stepped through the door, it was no surprise that they threw some red flags in his brain immediately. He pretended to ignore them while scribbling down a family's order. But when he scurried back to the safety of the kitchen, he began watching them again.

And he noticed something strange.

The creepy teen was staring at the karaoke act—his two friends from before—and he didn't necessarily look happy to see them. Haru bit his lip. This probably wouldn't end well.

When he saw the ebony-haired teen move toward the stage, he knew he had to do something. He obviously didn't have anything _good_ planned for them… and maybe, Haru could stall him just long enough so his new friends could escape.

--

Aang slammed a major chord on the keyboard. He could hear Sokka's guitar screaming in the background, and he could also hear Katara's (beautiful) voice shining behind him. The lyrics he sang and the lyrics she sang seemed to sweep around them, forming together into a melody/harmony combination that was purely lovely. Purely amazing. Just _pure_.

The song ended, and Bumi's Karaoke Bar erupted into raucous applause. Even the sarcastic teen groupies were clapping appreciatively.

Sokka's voice broke through the loud noise just above his shoulder. "I hate to burst your bubble, buddy, but we've really gotta go." Aang started, noticing the golden-eyed teenager making his way to their stage.

"I think you're right," the younger conceded nervously. Just like that, the trio abandoned the stage and left the bar, exiting quickly out of a back entrance and jumping into Appa. Sokka gunned the engine, Katara grabbed onto Momo, and Aang held on for dear life as their vehicle sped away from that place.

--

"Are you sure there's nothing I can get you? A booth by the stage maybe?" Zuko growled angrily, furious at this insolent idiot who insisted on wasting his time.

"For the millionth time, _NO_," he bit off maliciously, pushing the ignorant, green-eyed waiter out of his way. "I'm looking for someone…"

Behind him, Haru just smiled. There was no way he was catching them now.

--

Sokka sighed, resting his head lazily against the chilly glass window. It was night once again, and after the adrenaline of being chased had worn off, the younger kids had crashed immediately. Aang and Katara were propped back-to-back against each other; how all three—sorry, Momo—all _four_ of them fit into Appa's cramped little cab was a mystery to him, but somehow, they managed.

The road before them was long and straight. Pretty boring, really; not much to look at. They were heading for Chicago and should be arriving in just a few days, but until then… yawn. This trip was a snoozer.

Stealthily, Sokka pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. His heart sped up for just a split second—

—he cursed. No missed calls. No text messages, no _nothing_.

What, did Suki just _forget_ about him or something? Did she hit her head on a rock and get amnesia or some crap like that? Was she stuck in the hospital and physically incapable of just _calling_ him? It wouldn't take her but a few moments of her life… He pursed his lips.

He wanted her to call him. He gave her his number and told her to do so. So… why didn't she?

He dialed in her number, but the machine answered. _"We're sorry, but—"_ here, Suki's voice cut in, _"—Suki Kyoshi—"_ back to the computer, _"—is not available at the moment. Please leave a message after the tone, or dial 1 for more opt—"_

Sokka flipped his cell phone shut and angrily shoved it in his pocket. He'd texted her, called her… and she still didn't reply. He wanted to talk to her, so why didn't she?

…Well… he felt his stomach bottom out. There was only one reason, really.

**She** didn't want to talk to **him**.

--

Zuko was… absolutely _livid_, for lack of a better term. They were right there on stage, in front of EVERYBODY, and they got away. They GOT. AWAY.

How in _h-e-_ double hockey sticks did that happen? Apparently, everyone around here was completely incompetent and didn't understand the meaning of _"get out of my way."_ Which reminded him… The dark-haired teen stalked toward an empty back table and tossed it over, unfinished drinks falling to the ground and shattering on impact. It was so loud in here, and to be honest, he was absolutely amazed they could cram so many bodies into such a small bar.

His tone was nearly guttural. "Uncle, we aren't leaving until we find them." Zuko's voice left no room for argument, and the older man nodded singularly, though Zuko could tell his uncle wasn't happy about the idea. Yeah, well. He could preach to him about "doing the right thing" later; right now, they both needed to focus on the task at hand.

They were probably long gone by now, and it was already dark outside; there was no way they could catch up with their quarry, even if they _did_ know which way they were going. Zuko calculated that their best bet was to stick around and try to pick up some evidence or maybe a lead as to where they were going. Hmm. Maybe that questionable waiter from earlier could help.

A few moments later, and he was cursing like a sailor. Of course. That coward had split the second Zuko turned his back on him.

The teen sighed, grinding the heel of his hand into his eye. This was really giving him a headache… Earlier that day, he might've considered giving up. He might have considered that maybe Uncle was right, and that _maybe_ it wasn't the smartest thing to do to chase around a thirteen-year-old kid and his underage friends. But spotting them and watching them run away from him… then seeing them on stage, working together to create something just BURNED him.

It aggravated him like fingernails on a chalkboard, and it made him want to set something on fire. He just wanted to destroy _something_.

A glinting piece of silver near the floor immediately caught his attention. It was occasionally covered by shuffling feet and idle bodies, but Zuko made quick work of these stand-arounds. He shoved them out of his way and elbowed a path to his target.

He picked it up from off the floor, examining the apparently-superior knot workmanship. It was very pretty and very nicely done… but also something he had seen before.

It was a light blue- and white-woven bracelet with a shining silver moon and a broken clasp. He tsk'ed. "Bummer for you, sweetheart. Looks like you're missing your bracelet."

--

Katara awoke slowly, which was a pleasant change of pace from the way she normally woke up in the mornings. She yawned, stretching her arms as high above her head as the truck's cab would allow, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She blinked against the morning sun.

Large yellow-green cat eyes stared back at her. "Hey there, Momo," she said, scratching the kitty behind the ears. "Did you sleep well?" He purred in response.

Aang greeted her jovially and Sokka a little less jovially (considering he had been driving all night through). She reached up to itch a little on her neck when she noticed something. Her wrist wasn't jingling. It wasn't shimmery or heavy anymore. Katara felt the breath escape from her lungs, and she gasped.

Aang was there directly. "What? What's wrong?" His dark gray eyes were concerned.

"I-I lost my bracelet," she stuttered. Guilt swelled in her chest; this was the most important gift she had ever received from someone, and now she had to go and lose it. She felt pinpricks behind her eyes.

Aang pulled her into a tight hug, and Sokka quickly glanced between the road and his sister, trying to decide which one was more important. Her friend said to her, "Don't worry, Katara. We'll go back and find it… or I could just make you a new one."

Sokka nodded, and Katara chuckled just a little bit. She was so thankful she didn't start bawling like a little child in front of her best friend; God only knew that would give him license to mock her for the rest of her life. It just felt like such a big deal to her, for some reason. Like if anything happened to her mother's jewelry box.

"I'd really like that," she replied.

**

* * *

**

Post Author's Notes:

Ugh… HORRIBLE ending. Too short. The beginning and middle/ending don't match because I wrote one part in early fall and the other in February. Zuko was WAY too OOC in this one. Everyone was too hormonal. _Everyone_. Even Katara, and that's seriously saying something.

I should probably add this as well: **I WILL FINISH THIS STORY.** Eventually. It's all just a matter of how long it takes. However, I might not be able to put in all of the awesome ideas you guys had and suggested, and I probably won't make it as long as I originally intended it to be. As of right now, I just want to put in the major plot points and get the story done and over with with as few fatalities as possible. I still really love the IDEA for this story, but I have unsuccessfully taken it somewhere I didn't want it to go. Now we're completely off the subject, so the only thing I can do is cut my losses and tie up all the loose ends.

Don't think this is the end of this story, though. I will still finish it with relatively satisfying results; it just won't be stupidly long like I originally planned it to be. So never fear, rabid fans; I've still got a few chapters left of this puppy.

On that note, how would you guys feel if I started writing a **Sokkla story?** Yes? No? Or is that just too weird for you to even comprehend? I really like Sokkla, and I've got some sweet ideas that I want to put out there. However, I won't start working on it until I finish this story, and that's a promise. I've got too many things going on as it is.

So… now that you've heard MY thoughts on this story, I'd really love to hear YOURS. (:


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